EFFECT OF SUN DRYING ON PHYTOCHIMICAL QUALITY AND ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITY OF FIVE FIG VARIETIES (Ficus caricaL.) FROM NORTH ALGERIA

The fig has been a typical fruit component of the health-promoting Mediterranean diet for a very long time.Due to its perishable and seasonal aspect, it must be kept in its dry form, which can be obtained by several drying processes, including sun-drying.It is known to provide many dietary elements and beneficial phenolic compounds that have good antioxidant properties.This study contributes to assess the impact of sun-drying on phytochemical quality and on the antioxidant activity of five fig varieties from Jijel region (North Algeria).The results show that drying has a positive effect on the content of various phytochemical compounds, in particular total polyphenols, which reached a value of 398.8 ± 2.39 mg AGE/100 g of dried fig, on the content of flavonoids (increase from 17.71± 0.55 to 22.96 ± 0.18 mg QE / 100 g of fig), and proanthocyanidines (from 0.65 ± 0.07 to 2.93 ± 0.17mg CE/100 g of fig).On the other hand, a decrease in the content of anthocyanins (from 4.27 ±0.13 to 1.59±0.07mg Q3GE/100 g of fig), and carotenoids (from 464.78±1.74 to 140.96±1.41ug βCE/100 g of fig) is recorded.The in vitro evaluation of the antioxidant activity of extracts by DPPH free radical scavenging test, iron reduction, and H2O2 scavenging showed that dried figs have significant antioxidant activity dependent on polyphenols content.