Antioxidant Potentials of Adansonia digitata (Baobab) Fruit Pulp: A Mini-Review

Abstract

Background: Antioxidant is any substance that has the ability to delay, prevent or remove oxidative damage to a target molecule. The review is aimed at itemizing the components of baobab fruit pulp with antioxidant capabilities. Methods: Database were search for articles from the Directory of Open Access Journals, PubMed, Google Scholar, Springer, Science Direct using key words such as composition of baobab fruit pulp, antioxidant properties of baobab fruit pulp, antioxidant, reactive oxygen species and oxidative stress. Results: Boabab fruit pulp is a very good source of nutrient with a lot of antioxidant components such as vitamin C, Beta carotene, flavonoids, phenols, zinc etc. These antioxidant components help to reduce reactive oxygen species including free radicals such as superoxide anion, hydroxyl radical, as well as non-radical molecules like hydrogen peroxide, singlet oxygen. Baobab fruit pulp carries out the antioxidant activities through the following processes: scavenging and neutralizing free radicals, singlet oxygen quenching, superoxide radical scavenging, hydrogen donation, metal chelating, enzymes inhibition, peroxide decomposing and synergies. They also help in activating antioxidant enzymes, reduce α-tocopherol radicals, reduce nitrosative stress, prevent oxidases, and increase levels of uric acid and low molecular weight molecules which ultimately help to reduce oxidation in the long run. Conclusion: Baobab fruit pulp is a super fruit with a lot of antioxidant capabilities due to the present of several components like vitamin C, Beta carotene, flavonoids, phenols, zinc etc. These components work in different ways to eliminate reactive oxygen species and by extension prevent oxidative stress.