Comparison of phenolic profiles and antioxidant activities in the pulps from 21 different Artocarpus heterophyllus Lam. cultivars

<i>Artocarpus heterophyllus</i> Lam. (jackfruit) exhibits important biological activities, with its antioxidant effects are closely associated with rich phenolic compounds. This study evaluated the total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), and phenolic components in jackfruit pulp from 21 different cultivars. 58 phenolic compounds were identified with significant variations in their quantity and content among the cultivars by using UPLC-ESI-Q-TOF-MS/MS. Notably, the cultivar "Malaysia 1" had the highest TPC and TFC, exhibited the strongest antioxidant capacity. A strong correlation between polyphenol content and antioxidant properties suggests that procyanidins B1 and <i>p</i>-coumaric acid are key contributors to the antioxidant activity of jackfruit pulp. Principal component analysis (PCA) revealed distinct patterns in the phenolic compound profiles across samples. These findings provide a theoretical basis for the precise cultivation of high-antioxidant varieties possible and provide a reference for the processing strategies of targeted functional jackfruit products.