PHENOLIC CONTENT AND ANTIOXIDANT CAPACITIES OF PARINARI CURATELIFOLIA, STRYCHNOS SPINOSA AND ADANSONIA DIGITATA L. NHUKARUME 1 , Z. CHIKWAMBI 1 , M. MUCHUWETI 1,3 and B. CHIPURURA 2 1 University of Zimbabwe Department of Biochemistry Faculty of Science Harare, Zimbabwe 2 Chinhoyi University of Technology Department of Food Science and Post Harvest Technology School of Agricultural Science Chinhoyi, Zimbabwe Accepted for Publication December 28, 2008 ABSTRACT The phenolic content and antioxidant capacities of Parinari curatelifolia, Strychnos spinosa and Adansonia digitata were determined and compared to orange juice and baobab nectar, a commercial beverage. Methanolic extracts were investigated for their ability to scavenge free radicals by the 1, 1-diphenyl-2 picrylhydrazyl radical and superoxide radical scavenging assays whilst the b-Carotene Linoleic Acid Model System and inhibition of phosho- lipid peroxidation were used as model systems. The reducing power assay was used to determine the reducing potential of the extracts. Results showed that the beverages in this investigation were capable of acting as antioxidant sources as they displayed significant radical scavenging properties. Adansonia digitata had the highest and comparable antioxidant activities to Citrus sinensis (orange). The total phenolic, ascorbic acid, proan- tocyanidin and flavonoid contents ranged between 12 and 58 mg GAE/ 100 mL, 0.00 to 51.26 mg/100 mL, 0.35–1.071% and 18.3–124 mg/100 mL, respectively. There was a positive correlation between antioxidant activities and phenolic compounds content but there was no clear relationship between proanthocyanidin content and antioxidant activity. 3 Corresponding author. TEL: 00263-0-4-308047; FAX: 00263-4-308046; EMAIL: muchuweti@ medic.uz.ac.zw DOI: 10.1111/j.1745-4514.2009.00325.x Journal of Food Biochemistry 34 (2010) 207–221. © 2010, Wiley Periodicals, Inc. 207