Mango rejects and mango waste: Characterization and quantification of phenolic compounds and their antioxidant potential

The high demand and production rate of Mango (Mangifera indica L.) inevitably lead to a significant wastage of excess produce. The current research aims to screen and characterize phenolic compounds and estimate their antioxidant potential in rejected mangoes. It was found that Honey Gold variety possessed the highest Total Phenolic Content (TPC) (2.37 ± 0.06 mg GAE/g) and antioxidant capacity through 2,2′-diphenyl-2-picryl-hydrazyl (DPPH) (2.13 ± 0.09 mg AAE/g) assay. The LC-ESI-QTOF-MS/MS characterized a total of 86 phenolic compounds in different mango varieties including Kensington Pride (31), Keitt (30), Honey Gold (29), Calypso (28), and Palmer (14). In high-performance liquid chromatography-photo diode array (HPLC-PDA) quantification, the noteworthy levels of chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid, gallic acid, quercetin, and kaempferol were found in all five samples. The significant abundance of phenolics and its corresponding antioxidant capacity indicate the potential of rejected mango in food, pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals, and feed industries. Novelty impact statement: Liquid chromatography coupled mass spectrometry and high-performance liquid chromatography-photometric diode array analysis allows researchers to establish the various chemical profiles exhibited by different foods. Our present study focused on applying such techniques to tentatively identify, characterize, and quantify the phenolic compounds present in waste mango pulp. With the identification of such beneficial compounds, future studies can focus on developing innovative functional foods, food bioactives, pharmaceuticals, and nutraceuticals on a commercial scale. More importantly, such studies attempt to dissolve the growing concerns about food waste by effectively repurposing rejected foods.