Antioxidant, mutagenic, and antimutagenic activity of frozen fruits.

Many studies have focused on the effect of fresh fruits on the risk of developing cancer and other diseases involved with reactive species and free radicals. The intake of frozen fruits has spread widely in the last years, but, until now, their biological activity is not completely known. In this study, 23 samples of frozen fruits were analyzed for their nutritional composition, total polyphenols, total carotenoids, and vitamin C content. Antioxidant, mutagenic, and antimutagenic effects were also evaluated. Antioxidant assays included 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical (DPPH(.)) scavenging activity and determination of superoxide dismutase (SOD)- and catalase (CAT)-like activities. Mutagenic and antimutagenic evaluations were performed in eukaryotic cells of Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast. Most samples (74%) showed antioxidant activity similar to vitamin C in the DPPH(.) assay, and this activity was positively correlated (r = 0.366; P