Chemical Composition and Antioxidant Activity of Fruit Extracts from Different Horticultural Crops

This review summarizes this complex connection between the phytochemical diversity of horticultural crops and its antioxidant activity as being not a uniform property but the particular action of particular profiles of compounds, say anthocyanins in berries and flavanones in citrus and tannins in pomes. It emphasizes the roles played by genotype, environment, and postharvest processing of this potential. Although in vitro assays are crucial screening tools, to fill the bioactivity gap, more complex models need to be developed, taking into consideration bioavailability and synergistic matrix effects, with evidence of health benefits provided by epidemiological and intervention studies. The future is dependent on standardization of the protocols, the implementation of integrated -omics and biotechnological technology in crop improvement, and the entrenching of sustainability in the form of circular biorefinery. Finally, to achieve the full potential of fruit bioactives will require a multidisciplinary/ holistic approach, which exists between accurate phytochemistry to confirmed human health-effects and long-term market value.