Polyphenols extracts from (Theobroma cacao) and Chuchuhuaso (Maytenus macrocarpa) as possible natural Amazonian antioxidant

The antioxidant activity, as a consequence of the presence and polyphenols chemical structure, has lead their interest in the possible beneficial effects on foods health and beverages with high content in polyphenols. Antioxidants protect the body from free radicals, highly reactive molecules that can damage the body in the cellular level. This damage by free radicals can increase the risk to the cancer development, cardiovascular diseases and other degenerative diseases. The present work aim is to get cocoa seeds (Theobroma cacao) polyphenolic extracts and from Chuchuhuaso (Maytenus macrocarpa) cortex as a possible natural Amazonian antioxidant. The species were collected at the Research, Postgraduate and Amazonian Conservation Center, whose specimens were identified by the botanist Dr. David Neill and rested in the Ecuadorian Amazonian Herbarium. Polyphenolic activity was determined to hydroalcoholic extracts by Folin. Total polyphenolic concentration results on gallic acid in the cocoa (Teobroma cacao) extracts and chuchuhuaso (Maytenus laevis) cortex were 24,437 mg.mL-1 and 19,895, respectively. It is concluded that the two Amazonian species investigated provided relevant results in relation to the presence of total polyphenolic compounds, which allows preliminary prediction of a promising antioxidant activity. This preliminary study allowed to identify, for the first time, new polyphenols sources in promising plant species of the Ecuadorian Amazon region.