Hindawi Publishing Corporation he Scientiic World Journal Volume 2013, Article ID 278071, 7 pages http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2013/278071 Research Article Antioxidative and Anticholinesterase Activity of Cyphomandra betacea Fruit Siti Hawa Ali Hassan and Mohd Fadzelly Abu Bakar Institute for Tropical Biology and Conservation, Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS), Jalan UMS, 88400 Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia Correspondence should be addressed to Mohd Fadzelly Abu Bakar; mofadz@ums.edu.my Received 24 May 2013; Accepted 9 September 2013 Academic Editors: O. I. Aruoma and A. Ferrante Copyright © 2013 S. H. Ali Hassan and M. F. Abu Bakar. his is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Cyphomandra betacea is one of the underutilized fruits which can be found in tropical and subtropical countries. his study was conducted to determine the antioxidant activity and phytochemical contents in diferent parts (i.e., lesh and peel) of the fruits. Antioxidants were analyzed using DPPH and ABTS free radical scavenging assays as well as FRAP assay. Anticholinesterase activity was determined using enzymatic assay using acetyl cholinesterase enzyme. For 80% methanol extract, the peel of the fruit displayed higher antioxidant activity in both FRAP and ABTS free radical scavenging assays while the lesh displayed higher antioxidant activity in the DPPH assay. Total phenolic and total lavonoid content were higher in the peel with the values of 4.89 ± 0.04 mg gallic acid equivalent (GAE)/g and 3.36 ± 0.01 mg rutin equivalent (RU)/g, respectively. Total anthocyanin and carotenoid content were higher in the lesh of the fruit with the values of 4.15 ± 0.04 mg/100 g and 25.13 ± 0.35 mg/100 g. he anticholinesterase was also higher in the peel of C. betacea. he same trends of phytochemicals, antioxidant, and anticholinesterase were also observed in the distilled water extracts. hese indings suggested that C. betacea has a potential as natural antioxidant-rich nutraceutical products. 1. Introduction Coronary heart diseases, cancer, and other health problems related to the aging process have been associated with free radicals such as reactive oxygen species (ROS) [1]. he oxidation of the cell by ROS contributes to the cell degen- eration which causes some chronic diseases such as cancer and Alzheimer’s disease. However, the oxidation process by ROS can be reduced by antioxidants. Natural and synthetic antioxidants have been added to food and function to extend the shelf life of the products. In addition to that, the most important function of antioxidants in the human body is to combat ROS which help to control oxidation of cells in the human body [2]. Synthetic antioxidants have been shown to possess carcinogenic activity [3], hence natural antioxidants which are shown to be safer and have been comprehensively shown by researchers to possess antiviral, antimutagenic, antiinlammatory, anticancer, antitumor, and hepatoprotective properties [2]. Plant-based products made from vegetables, cereals, grains, and fruits have been shown to contain a large amount of natural antioxidants [4]. In addition to that, fruit and vegetable juices play an important role in delaying the onset of Alzheimer’s disease especially among those who are at high risk for the disease [5]. he state of Sabah which is situated in Borneo Island has tropical rain forest is that contain a rich biodiversity of fruits and vegetables. One of the fruits which is still underutilized is Cyphomandra betacea that can grow naturally in the higher-humidity and low-temperature area. C. betacea is locally known as “Buah Cinta,” “Mogini- wang,” or “Tamarillo” among local people in Sabah, Malaysia. Meanwhile, in Peninsular Malaysia, this plant is known as “Pokok Tomato” or “Tamarillo.” C. betacea is a semiwoody shrub with the tree up to 2-3 m high. he lowers are pink in colour. he fruit of C. betacea is reddish-brown to orange- red in colour depending on the fruit’s maturity with the diameter of about 9–12 cm (Figures 1(a) and 1(b)). 87% of its total weight is made up by the lesh and seeds while the rest of its total weight is contributed by the skin of the fruit. he fruit is juicy and has smooth skin with egg-like shape. he fruit has like tomato-taste and ripe fruit of C. betacea is usually eaten raw by local community. his fruit can also