Red-jambo peel extract shows antiproliferative activity against HepG2 human hepatoma cells.

The peel of the red-jambo concentrates the majority of the bioactive compounds and antioxidant capacity of the fruit. Minor phenolic compounds in this part of the fruit are still unknown, as well as the effect of its extracts in in vitro and in vivo studies. In an ethanolic extract of red-jambo, a wider range of phenolic compounds was investigated and the antioxidant cellular antioxidant activity and inhibition of HepG2 cell proliferation were evaluated for the first time. Using HPLC-FLD/DAD for phenolic compounds determination, gallic acid, chlorogenic acid and (-)-epigallocatechin gallate were found for the first time in the peel of the red-jambo fruit. The anthocyanins found (cyanidin 3,5-diglucoside, cyanidin 3-glucoside and peonidin 3-glucoside) were the flavonoid class strongly correlated with the antioxidant capacity methods used in this study (cellular antioxidant activity and oxygen radical absorbance capacity). The ethanolic extract of the peel showed significant effect on reducing the tumoral cell growth and proliferation. Antiproliferative activity of phytochemicals showed no significant correlative relations with total phenolic compounds, flavonoids and anthocyanins, demonstrating which the antiproliferative effect of the extract could be due to the synergic action among the compounds in red-jambo peel.