| Abstract
| - Fig fruit has been a typical component in the health-promoting Mediterranean diet for millennia. Tostudy the potential health-promoting constituents of fig fruits, six commercial fig varieties differing incolor (black, red, yellow, and green) were analyzed for total polyphenols, total flavonoids, antioxidantcapacity, and amount and profile of anthocyanins. Using reversed-phase liquid chromatography (RP-LC), various concentrations of anthocyanins but a similar profile was found in all varieties studied.Hydrolysis revealed cyanidin as the major aglycon. Proton and carbon NMR confirmed cyanidin-3-O-rhamnoglucoside (cyanidin-3-O-rutinoside; C3R) as the main anthocyanin in all fruits. Colorappearance of fig extract correlated well with total polyphenols, flavonoids, anthocyanins, andantioxidant capacity. Extracts of darker varieties showed higher contents of phytochemicals comparedto lighter colored varieties. Fruit skins contributed most of the above phytochemicals and antioxidantactivity compared to the fruit pulp. Antioxidant capacity correlated well with the amounts of polyphenolsand anthocyanins (R2 = 0.985 and 0.992, respectively). In the dark-colored Mission and the redBrown-Turkey varieties, the anthocyanin fraction contributed 36 and 28% of the total antioxidantcapacity, respectively. C3R contributed 92% of the total antioxidant capacity of the anthocyanin fraction.Fruits of the Mission variety contained the highest levels of polyphenols, flavonoids, and anthocyaninsand exhibited the highest antioxidant capacity. Keywords: Common fig (Ficus carica L.); color; anthocyanins; flavonoids; polyphenols; antioxidantcapacity; pulp; skin
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