Fruits are rich sources of antioxidant, bioactive compounds, and their consumption is associated with a lower risk of chronic non-communicable diseases. Native fruits such as Luzuriaga radicans Ruiz & Pav. are used as food and are an alternative in traditional medicine. In Chile, these fruits grow in the southern regions of the country. Natural deep eutectic solvents (NaDESs) have emerged as a new class of sustainable, non-toxic, and biodegradable solvents. They have been used in the extraction of many compounds from natural sources, and are used to extract compounds to prepare nutraceuticals that can be also used as food additives. The objective of our research was to evaluate the total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoids (TFC), and antioxidant capacity of Luzuriaga radicans Ruiz & Pav. using ultrasound-assisted deep eutectic solvent extraction (NaDES). The berries were collected in the Parque Saval in Valdivia, Chile, and subsequently extracted with ethanol, ethanol/water 1:7 v:v, and several NADES employing ultrasound and microwaves. UHPLC-DAD, HPLC-APCI(+)-MS, and UHPLC-ESI(+)-TOF-MS analysis allowed for the identification of several carotenes and carotenoid ester species. The NADES showed better antioxidant capacity compared to hydroalcoholic extraction in some cases, measured by the bleaching of the DPPH and ABTS radicals, ORAC, and the FRAP antioxidant test. In addition, some antienzymatic activity was found for the hydroalcoholic extraction (ACHe and BuCHE: IC50 : 6.904 ± 0.42 and 18.38 ± 0.48 respectively). The berries of this species show potential for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease, which can be attributed to the content of carotene compounds. The research suggests the fruits could have beneficial effects at least in the prevention of this neurodegenerative disease.
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Green extracts of Luzuriaga radicans berries Ruiz & Pav. with potential against chronic diseases
Published:
27 October 2025
by MDPI
in The 6th International Electronic Conference on Foods
session Nutritional and Functional Foods
Abstract:
Keywords: Luzuriaga radicans Ruiz & Pav.; antioxidant tests, carotenes; endemic fruits; Valdivian forest
