Antioxidant capacity, quality attributes, and chemical characterization of commercial orange-fleshed honeydew melons

ABSTRACT: Orange-fleshed non-netted honeydew melon has high nutritional and economic potential, being widely appreciated as a refreshing sweet fruit. Therefore, evaluating commercial samples of such relevant products for the fresh fruit market is of great importance. This study investigated the antioxidant capacity, quality parameters, and chemical composition of honeydew melons from the Brazilian market. The values of pH and °Brix determined for melon samples were 6.5 ± 0.30 and 9.2 ± 0.80 g/100 g (fresh weight), respectively, which agree with the results expected for high-quality melons. The chromatography analysis revealed sucrose (49% of total sugar) as the main sugar, followed by fructose (30%) and glucose (21%). Carotenoids, which are directly linked to the characteristic orange color, showed a total level of 270.59 µg/g (dry weight). Additionally, the higher b* value compared to a* value indicates the highest yellow contribution. Regarding the antioxidant assays, in addition to presenting antioxidant capacity for both methods applied, DPPH and FRAP, levels ranging from 16.40 ± 0.21 µmol ascorbic acid equivalent/g to 56.98 ± 0.80 µmol Trolox equivalent/g (dry weight) were reported in melon extracts. Moreover, the results were higher in terms of FRAP than DPPH. Therefore, the results underscore the evaluated honeydew melons as valuable sources of bioactive compounds, such as carotenoids and phenolics, which contribute to their antioxidant properties. Besides, analyses of color, pH, and total soluble solids content also reflect the quality attributes.