Comparative study of health properties and nutritional value of durian, mangosteen, and snake fruit: Experiments in vitro and in vivo

In vitro and in vivo studies of the health and nutritional properties of durian (Durio zibethinus Murr.) were compared with snake fruit (Salacca edulis Reinw.) and mangosteen (Garcinia mangostana). Dietary fibers, minerals, and trace metals were comparable. Total polyphenols (mg of GAE/100 g of FW) and flavonoids (85.1 ± 6.1) were significantly higher (p < 0.05) than in snake fruit (217.1 ± 13.2 (mg of CE/100 g of FW)), durian (309.7 ± 19.3 and 61.2 ± 4.9), and mangosteen (190.3 ± 12.1 and 54.1 ± 3.8). Antioxidant activity (μM TE/100 g of FW) of durian measured by DPPH and ABTS assays (228.2 ± 13.4 and 2016.3 ± 81.1) was significantly higher (p < 0.05) than in snake fruit (110.4 ± 7.9 and 1507.5 ± 70.1) and mangosteen (79.1 ± 5.9 and 1268.6 ± 62.3). HPLC/DAD analysis of durian (μg/100 g of FW) showed that quercetin (1214.23 ± 116.7) was present at levels three times that of caffeic acid, and twice as high as p-coumaric and cinnamic acids. The correlation coefficients between the bioactive compounds of fruits and their antioxidant activities were high (R2 = 0.99). Male Wistar rats (25) were divided into five dietary groups:  the control group was fed the basal diet (BD); in addition to BD, the cholesterol (Chol) group was supplemented with 1% of Chol; the diets of the Chol/Durian, Chol/Snake, and Chol/Mangosteen groups were supplemanted with 5% of these fruits, respectively. It was found that diets supplemented with durian, and to a lesser degree with snake fruit and mangosteen, significantly hindered the rise in plasma lipids and the decrease in antioxidant activity. The nutritional values were comparably high. In conclusion, it could be suggested that inclusion of studied tropical fruits, especially durian, in known disease-preventing diets could be beneficial.