Bioactive compounds and antioxidant potential fruit of Ximenia americana L

•Fruit with considerable amounts of antioxidant properties non enzymatic and enzymatic.•Green fruit have higher amount of bioactive compounds and antioxidant potential.•Antioxidant activity is related to polyphenols, flavonoids, anthocyanins and enzymes.•The results show promising perspectives for use of the fruits in pharmacology. The caatinga ecoregion in northeast Brazil presents a wide variety in plant species. However, the potential of these species as a source of energy, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals and bioactive properties beneficial to health is still unknown. Among these species we can find the wild plum (Ximenia americana). Due to its various phytotherapeutic properties and absence of studies on the chemical composition of the fruit this article aimed to evaluate the bioactive compounds and antioxidant potential of the X. americana in different stages of maturation. The fruits of X. americana showed considerable amounts of bioactive compounds, as well as antioxidant activity and antioxidant enzymes. The fruits at green maturity stage showed higher content of yellow flavonoids (22.07mg/100g), anthocyanins (1.92mg/100g), polyphenols (3051.62mg/100g), starch (4.22%), antioxidant activity (489.40g fruit/g DPPH and 198.77μmol Trolox/g) and activity of antioxidant enzymes; the antioxidant activity allocated to the fruit was shown to be related to the contents of extractable polyphenols, yellow flavonoids, total anthocyanins and antioxidant enzymes.