Antioxidant and Anti-inflammatory Activities of Polysaccharides from the Coat of Fermented and Unfermented Sugar Apple (Annona squamosa L.) Seed

This study explored the effect of fermentation on the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities of polysaccharides from seed coat of fermented and unfermented Annona squamosa seed. Fresh and ripe sugar apple fruits were collected from a tree in Ota-Efun, Osogbo, Nigeria (07^o 32^’ 30.2496^” N, 04^o 31^’ 41.7036^” E) and their identities were verified at IFE Herbarium, Department of Botany, Obafemi Awolowo, University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria. The seeds were collected and divided into two portions: fermented and unfermented. The coats of both the fermented and unfermented seeds were defatted with n-hexane separately. Polysaccharides were extracted from the defatted samples using cold and hot water procedure according to standard methods to give fermented seed coat polysaccharides and unfermented seed coat polysaccharides. Antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities of the polysaccharides were investigated using standard m