Flavonol and Anthocyanin Analyses of Purple-Fruited Selections of Eugenia uniflora L. (Pitanga) by High Performance Liquid Chromatography

Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Kona Ballroom
Kristen Wheeler , Molecular Bioscience and Bioengineering, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, HI
Ty G. McDonald, Asst., Extn., Agent , Tropical Plant and Soil Sciences, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, HI
John L. Griffis Jr. , Marine and Ecological Sciences, Florida Gulf Coast University, Ft. Myers, FL
Theodore J.K. Radovich , Tropical Plant and Soil Science, CTAHR, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, HI
J. P. Bingham , Department of Molecular Biosciences and Bioengineering, CTAHR, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, HI
Malcolm M. Manners, PhD , Horticulture Department, Florida Southern College, Lakeland, FL
A variety of flavonoids have been isolated and quantified from several purple-fruited seedling selections of Pitanga (Eugenia uniflora L.). Flavonoids are widely known as antioxidants that serve as photoprotectants for the host plant. These compounds in humans have been previously shown to exhibit anticancer, antioxidant, and cardioprotectant effects. High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) was used to investigate the relative composition of flavonols and anthocyanins present in the fruits. Methods of flavonoid quantification were improved to ensure cost effectiveness and efficiency by imparting a shorter HPLC run time. A Waters Xbridge™ column facilitated selective retention, resolution, and high sensitivity. Currently, the fruits of E. uniflora are relatively unknown and are underutilized as possible sources of dietary antioxidants. These results will be of further use to exemplify the purple-fruited Pitanga as a nutritionally desirable crop for propagation and consumption.
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