Comparative Evaluation of Antioxidant Properties of Methanolic Extract of Red and Green Custard Apple Fruits

Annona squamosa (custard apple) or also called Sugar Apple. It is native to the tropical Americas and West Indies, but the exact origin is unknown. It is now the most widely cultivated of all the species of Annona, being grown for its fruit throughout the tropics and warmer subtropics, such as Indonesia, Thailand, and Taiwan; it was introduced to southern Asia before 1590. There are two varieties of custard apple which were available in the local Malaysian market. In the present study we aimed to carry out comparative antioxidant activity of methanolic extract of both custard apple fruits by using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl-hydrazyl (DPPH) method. The results showed that the methanolic extract of red custard apple showed better antioxidant activity than methanolic extract of green custard apple. However, the standard ascorbic acid showed better antioxidant activity than both the extracts. In conclusion, the red custard apple is good candidate for further investigation.