Evaluation of Total Antioxidant Activity and Phenolic Profiles of Calabrian Breba Figs: A Detailed Study of Pulp and Skin from 29 Ficus carica L. Accessions

This work was carried out on twenty-nine fig accessions cultivated in the Calabria region (Italy). The main antioxidant parameters were determined with the aim of selecting superior genotypes and supporting the establishment of new commercial orchards specializing in breba production. The studied samples were divided into two main classes characterized by different skin fruit colors (light and dark). The total antioxidant capacity (DPPH and ABTS), total polyphenols, and total flavonoids of the fig accessions were analyzed spectrophotometrically, while the individual phenolic components were identified and quantified by UHPLC-PDA. The phenolic profiles showed significant differences among the tested samples and between flesh and skin. The highest concentrations of bioactive components were found in the skin rather than the flesh. The total polyphenol contents varied between 15 and 50 mg of gallic acid equivalents (GAE) per 100 g of fresh weight (FW) in the pulp and between 18 and 251 mg GAE per 100 g (FW) in the skin.