Relationship between composition and bioactivity of persimmon and kiwifruit.

Abstract

Fruits are foods that contain plenty of vitamins, minerals and some bioactive phytochemicals like polyphenols. Thus, fruits may exert different functional properties on human health, some of which are directly related to their antioxidant capacity like cancer or atherosclerosis. Owing to globalization, consumers have a wide repertory of fruits throughout the year. Among them, tropical and subtropical fruits are steadily expanding, as well as the studies about them. In this sense, this timely review focused on the nutritional value and chemical composition of persimmon and kiwifruit, two tropical fruits with a protective role on different chronic diseases. Thus, this review focused mainly on the presence of bioactive compounds such as polyphenols, tannins, carotenoids, vitamin C and the different functional properties (i.e. antioxidant capacity, antithrombotic activity, decrease of plasmatic lipids, etc.) arising from the presence of such biologically active molecules. Finally, the effects of genotype and ripening stage on antioxidant capacity and the content of bioactive compounds in persimmon and kiwifruit are also discussed.