Antioxidant Activities and Phenolic Compounds of Several Tissues of Pawpaw (Asimina triloba [L.] Dunal) Grown in Korea

Pawpaw (Asimina triloba [L.] Dunal) possesses antioxidant compounds and strong inhibitors of cancer cells, and is widely cultivated in North America, Canada, and Korea. We analyzed the total phenolic and total flavonoid contents (TPC and TFC, respectively) of pawpaw plants grown in Korea and the antioxidant activities of their roots, twigs, leaves, and fruit with respect to 1,1‐diphenyl‐2‐picryl‐hydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity, 2,2′‐azino‐bis diammonium salt (ABTS) radical scavenging activity, ferrous (Fe2+) chelating ability, and nitrite scavenging activity. Pearson's correlation analyses revealed a linear correlation between TPC and antioxidant activities (r2 >0.69). Root methanol extracts had higher TPC and antioxidant activities than other extracts, which was also consistent with those from the phenolic compounds found in those extracts. Therefore, antioxidant activities seem to depend on the TPC of each pawpaw tissue and pawpaw roots might be useful as a natural source of natural antioxidants. Practical Application Pawpaw (A. triloba) is known to possess antioxidant compounds and potent inhibitors of cancer cells. We found here that the levels of phenolic compounds varied widely among the different pawpaw tissues. There was a high correlation between TPC and antioxidant activities. These results provide fundamental data for further research and helpful information for the production of a valuable crop from pawpaw trees.