Bioprospecting of wild fruit (Solanum pachyandrum): physicochemical characterization and optimization of ultrasound-assisted extraction of bioactive compounds

The wild fruit of Solanum pachyandrum remains poorly studied, with no previous reports on its physicochemical properties or optimized extraction of bioactive compounds. This study systematically characterized the physicochemical changes during fruit ripening and optimized ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) of phenolic compounds and fraction carotenoids using a Box-Behnken experimental design. The effects of methanol concentration (10–70%), ultrasonic amplitude (20–60%), and sonication time (1–15 min) on total phenolic content (TPC), total carotenoids content (TCC), and antioxidant activity (AA) were evaluated. Response surface models exhibited a good fit for TPC (R² = 0.91.85) and TCC (R² = 0.941), while AA showed limited predictive capacity, optimal conditions were defined based on TPC and TCC responses, and AA was evaluated as a complementary outcome. Under the optimal extraction conditions (10% methanol, 60% amplitude, 15 min) yielded 90.27 ± 0.60 mg GAE/100 g and 269.13± 3.78 mg β-CE/100 g were obtained in ripe fruits. Fruit ripening significantly affected bioactive profiles, with higher TPC and AA in green fruits (149.62 mg GAE/100 g; 198.32 μmol Trolox/100 g) and a progressive carotenoid accumulation as ripening advanced. This study provides new insights into the physicochemical properties and bioactive compound profile of Solanum pachyandrum fruits and demonstrates the effectiveness of ultrasound-assisted extraction as an environmentally friendly strategy for recovering compounds. Furthermore, these fruits have great potential as sources of bioactive compounds of interest for research in nutraceuticals and functional foods.