Chemical and biological antioxidant activity evaluation of extracts from berries pomaces

• Berries pomaces were obtained from maqui and raspberry juice production. • Berries pomaces were extracted with aqueous and hydroalcoholic solvents. • Hydroalcoholic extracts had higher chemical antioxidant capacity than aqueous ones. • Up to 75 % of HL60 cell growth can be inhibited by hydroalcoholic extracts. • Berries pomace is an interesting alternative to obtain compounds with antioxidants and possible anticancer properties, after further research. Berries and berries pomaces have a high content of antioxidant compounds, especially anthocyanins. This work evaluates the chemical (TPC, FRAP, DPPH, ABTS, and ORAC) and biological (assays of cytotoxicity and loss of mitochondrial membrane potential (Δψm) on HL60 and fibroblast cells) antioxidant capacity of hydroalcoholic and aqueous extracts from raspberry and maqui pomaces. Better chemical results were obtained with hydroalcoholic extracts. Raspberry extract has better results than maqui extract, except for anthocyanin content and ORAC activity that was similar. A maximum of 75 % and 38 % of inhibition of HL60 cell growth, respectively, was observed with hydroalcoholic and aqueous extracts at 0.15 mg/mL. Fibroblast growth was inhibited only with raspberry pomace extract. Mostly, extracts allow cell growth under oxidative conditions, observing a protective effect equivalent to using a reference antioxidant (based on Δψm). This study therefore lays the groundwork for the biological evaluation of the use of extracts of maqui and raspberry pomace, with particular attention to their possible anticancer properties.