Actividad de enzimas antioxidantes de la pulpa madura e inmadura de Vasconcellea candicans (A. Gray) A. DC. 1864 (Caricaceae)

Introduction. The determination of antioxidant substances in native fruits is important for their incorporation into the diet, as well as for their better use and conservation. Objective. To evaluate the activity of the antioxidant enzymes catalase, peroxidase, superoxide dismutase and glutathione sulfhydryl transferase in aqueous extracts of ripe and unripe pulp of the fruit of Vasconcellea candicans (A. Gray) A. DC. and relate it to their concentration of total polyphenols. Materials and methods. The pulp of four ripe fruits and four unripe fruits of mito from Santo Domingo de Los Olleros, Huarochirí, Lima, Peru, was extracted and processed during March to December 2023. Samples were obtained by aqueous extraction of 20 g of pulp in a 20:80 ratio in water at 8 °C for 15 days (cold maceration technique), and the supernatant was used after centrifugation. Total polyphenols determination was performed by spectrophotometry using gallic acid as a standard, and the specific activity of the enzymes was determined by spectrophotometry using the respective standards. Non-parametric statistics were applied using the statistical software R. Results. The fruits of V. candicans show marked differences between ripening stages, particularly in protein content and in the activity of antioxidant enzymes such as catalase, superoxide dismutase and glutathione sulfhydryl transferase. Biochemical correlations are more pronounced in ripe fruits, indicating a functional reorganization of antioxidant components during ripening. Conclusions. The results suggest that catalase activity, together with polyphenol levels, could be a biochemical indicator of fruit ripeness, and could be used to optimize postharvest shelf life.