Phytochemical Profiling and Biochemical Evaluation of Pineapple (Ananas comosus L. Merr) Fruit

This study aims to reveal the biochemical characteristics of pineapple (Ananas comosus L. Merr) fruit in terms of its fatty acid profile, vitamin and phytosterol content, as well as phenolic compounds and flavonoid composition. According to the analyses conducted, the predominant saturated fatty acids in pineapple were identified as palmitic acid (C16:0) and stearic acid (C18:0), with proportions of 16.232% and 5.524%, respectively. The total saturated fatty acid content was calculated as 22.829%. Among the unsaturated fatty acids, linoleic acid (C18:2n6c), oleic acid (C18:1n9c), and linolenic acid (C18:3n3) were found at levels of 21.707%, 19.924%, and 18.158%, respectively. The total unsaturated fatty acid content was determined to be 62.158%. In addition, high levels of significant bioactive compounds such as α-tocopherol (6.13 µg/g), β-sitosterol (154.31 µg/g), and vitamin D3 (3.1 µg/g) were detected in the fruit. Among the phenolic acids, notable amounts of gallic, ferulic, and rosmarinic acids were identified, while catechin, naringenin, and quercetin were among the prominent flavonoids. In antioxidant activity assays, pineapple extract exhibited radical scavenging activities of 66.45% for DPPH•, 62.07% for ABTS•, and 70.21% for OH•. Although these values were lower than those of the standard antioxidant BHT, they still indicate a significant level of natural antioxidant capacity. The findings demonstrate that pineapple is a rich source of fatty acids, tocopherols, phytosterols, and phenolic and flavonoid compounds, supporting its potential to be considered a functional food and a natural antioxidant source.