Changes in total phenolic and total antioxidant activity of kair (capparis decidua) fruits during maturity

Abstract

Capparis decidua (Forsk.) Edgew, commonly known as kair, is an important drought resistant nutritional and medicinal plant. Tender fruits of kair are pickled, cooked and consumed as vegetables while fully ripe fruits are sweet in test and consumed as fresh. In the present study fresh fruits of different maturity stages (Tender to fully ripe) were harvested from the ICAR-CIAH, research farm and divided in five groups as per their maturity and analyzed for changes in their average fruit weight, dry matter content, phenolic content and total antioxidant activity with their maturity. It was observed that average fruit weight increased from 0.38 g to 4.11 g per fruits while dry matter content decreased from 30.31% to 23.22% from tender fruits to fully ripe fruits respectively. An increasing trend was also observed in phenolic content and total antioxidant activity from tender to fully ripe stages. Phenolic content increased from 3.98 to 4.96 mg GAE Equi./g while total antioxidant activity increased from 0.64 to 1.57 mg Vit C equi./g, respectively from tender to fully ripe stage.