EVALUATION OF SUGAR CONTENT, PHYTOCHEMICAL COMPOSITIONS AND ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITIES OF FRUITS OF TWO ANNONA SPECIES FROM SIDAMA RIGION ETHIOPIA

<strong>ABSTRACT</strong>: Among existing commercially grown Annona species, A.muricata L. and A.squamosa L. are popu lar among cultivators due to their distinguished nutritional value, health benefits and economic potentials. This study investigated sugar contents, vitamin C contents, total carotenoids, β-caro tene contents from fruit juices. The total phenolic contents (TPC), total flavonoid contents (TFC) and antioxidant activities of water and methanol extracts of the two fruits. Total sugar, reducing sugar and sucrose contents were determined by Lane and Enyon method, Folin-Ciocalteu method, aluminum chloride colorimetric assay and standardized Iodine solution were used to determine the total phenolic (TPC), total flavonoid (TFC), and vitamin C contents respectively. Total carotenoids and β-carotene contents were determined spectrophotometrically. Antioxidant activities were determined by using 2,2-Diphenyl-1-Picryl-Hydrazyl (DPPH) scavenging activity, ferric reducing antioxidant power assay (FRAP), total antioxidant activity values were determi ned by using phosphormolybdenum method. A.squamosa fruit has the highest reducing sugar (9.10 ± 0.21 mg/100g ), total sugar (13.82 ± 0.41 mg/100g ), sucrose (4.42 ± 0.19 mg/ 100g) and vitamin C (31.48 ± 2.18 mg AAE/100g) contents respectively. But A.muricata fruit has the highest Total carotenoids content (85.50 ± 3.38 µg βCE/g) and β-carotene contents (8.93 ± 0.98 µg/g), A.squamosa methanol extract exhibited the highest TPC (4.14 ± 0.08 mg GAE/g), TFC (2.58 ± 0.40 mg CAE/g), ferric reducing antioxidant power (36.00 ± 3.33mg AAE/g), total antioxidant activity (10.99 ± 0.48 mg BHTE/g), DPPH radical scavenging activity (IC50 = 0.98 ± 0.08 mg/ml) respectively. Thus the results from this study indicated that A.squamosa and A.muricata fruits are rich sources of sugars, phytochemicals and antioxidants thus they are promising alternatives for the development and utilization of Annona fruits as an additional food source and a natural anti oxidants which can be used for preventing free radical mediated human diseases and disorders.