The acai berry (Euterpe oleracea Mart.) contains vitamin B complex, vitamin C, anthocyanin and so on. Especially acai berry was seen as nutritionally comparable to blueberry and related berries. The acai berry has significant aging-reducing properties. Compounds have been found to have anti-aging and antioxidant components. Acai berry was extracted with 70% methanol, 70% ethanol and CM (chloroform:methanol=2:1, v/v). After sample and reagents of each experiment was reacted, DPPH radical scavenging activity and ABTS radical scavenging activity, ferric reducing antioxidant power, reducing power were measured to determine the antioxidant capacity, and as results of comparing each extract. Ethanol (70%) extraction was measured highest. Anthocyanin, total phenol, flavonoid also appeared similar to the results. In addition, the antioxidant activities of the extraction solvents were increased significantly with increasing concentrations, but showed lower antioxidant activity than the positive control (ascorbic acid). As a result, antioxidant activities of sample supposed to affect by the anthocyanin, phenol and flavonoid contents.

In this study Muffins adding each 0, 1, 3, 5 7% of Acai Berry powder, which has very high anti-oxidant constituent, have been made, and its quality characteristics have been surveyed. From the volume and specific volume measurement, it has been decreased for MA1, 1% of Acai Berry powder added muffin, but the tendency thereafter has shown increasing (p<0.001). From texture characteristics gumminess and chewiness of MA0, reference group, was the highest by 885.86 g/ cm and 6645.71 g, and has shown decreasing tendency as per the adding rate of Acai Berry powder increased (0.001). The electronics scavenging activity of MA7, 7% added muffin, was the highest by 68.91%, and the ascending order was MA1 < Reference Group < MA3 < MA5 < MA7. From the preference test of Acai Berry powder added muffin, MA3, 3% added muffin, was the most preferable one from color, taste as well as total preference. As the added volume of Acai Berry powder is 5% or more, the typical taste and flavor of Acai Berry gives influence to the taste and flavor of muffin, so the preference level has been decreased. Thus the added volume of Acai Berry powder 5% or more is not recommendable.

This study was conducted to investigate the physiological activity of acai berry (Euterpe oleracea Mart.) extracts from three different solvents (water, methanol, and ethanol). We measured total polyphenol and total flavonoid content, DPPH radical scavenging activity, nitrite scavenging activity, metal chelating effect, and reducing power. The extraction yield from water, methanol, and ethanol was 17.10, 9.50, and 37.51%, respectively. The highest total polyphenol content (10.54 mg/100 g) and total flavonoid contents (1.88 mg/100 g) was observed in water extract. DPPH radical scavenging activity was the highest in both water extract (72.03%) and methanol extract (74.79%) at levels of 5 mg/mL, which was similar to that of BHT (78.90%). Water extract yielded the highest metal chelating effect (92.54%) and reducing power (1.09) at levels of 5 mg/mL. Taken together, these findings suggest that extracts of acai berry can be used as functional food materials with antioxidative and nitrite scavenging activities.