Influence of fruit stages on chemical compositions, phytochemicals, and antioxidant activity of wood apple (Feronia limonia (L.) Swingle)

The <i>Feronia limonia</i> (L.) Swingle is an underappreciated tropical fruit, contains several vitamins, minerals, and bioactive substances, yet it has received significantly less attention. The fruit is edible at all stages (unripe, intermediate, and ripe); however, it is only utilized in very limited cuisine recipes. The study's goal is to examine the fruit's chemical compositions, phytochemical content, and antioxidant activity over three stages. Since the fruit is consumed from unripe to ripe, our research demonstrates the scientific validity of its medical properties at each stage. The chemical composition of <i>F. limonia</i> fruit was examined at three stages, including nutritional composition, carbohydrate profile, and vitamin and mineral content. The fruit's phytochemicals (Total phenolic and total flavonoid content) were assessed using a spectrophotometer. The antioxidant properties of DPPH (2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazylradical scavenging), FRAP (ferric reducing antioxidant power), MCA (metal chelating activity), and RC (reducing capacity) were measured. Pearson's correlation coefficients and multiple linear regressions were used to investigate the link between phytochemical components and antioxidant activity. The study found that protein, fiber, ash, calcium, phosphorus, iron, and vitamin C content declined by 44.7 percent, 47.3 percent, 18.16 percent, 20.3 percent, 8.7 percent, 32.4 percent, and 20.0 percent, respectively, as full ripening progressed. Sucrose (1377.2 mg/100 g) was the predominant sugar in the ripe stage, but fructose (668.72 mg/100 g) was prominent in the unripe stage. During ripening, sucrose concentration rose from 288.1 mg/100g to 1377.2 mg/100g, whereas other sugar contents fell. Similarly, the unripe stage demonstrated increased antioxidant activity, followed by the intermediate and ripe stages. Individually, phenol and flavonoid compounds shown a strong Pearson's association with the antioxidant activity of the fruit, including DPPH scavenging activity (0.945, 0.915), ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) (0.980, 0.907), metal chelating activity (MCA) (0.953, 0.914), and reducing capacity (RC) (0.981, 0.906). The current study's findings could help the pharmaceutical and food processing sectors determine the optimal stage for bioactive ingredient extraction and direct intake.