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- Exploring the potential of regional fruits as powerful sources of health-promoting bioactive compoundsPublication . Figueira, José Aldónio Oliveira; Câmara, José de SousaThe work developed along the PhD, aimed the evaluation of the phytochemicals composition in fruits from regular consumption produced in Madeira Island, lemon (Citrus limon var. eureka), tangerine (Citrus reticulata var. setubalense), tomato (Solanum lycopersicum var. gordal) , pitanga (Eugenia uniflora var. red) and uva-da serra (Vaccinium padifolium), and its potential bioactivity. To achieve the proposed aims, diverse analytical approaches were developed and validated. Lycopene (727.1±13.8 mg/g), β-carotene (80.4±1.4 mg/g) and α-, γ-, δ tocopherols were determined by LLUSAE/UHPLC-PDA/FLR, in tomatoes. For tocopherols this methodology presented LODs about 1000 times lower than those reported in literature, allowing the determination, for the first time, of δ-tocopherol in tomato. QuEChERS combined with LC-ESI/MS/MS was applied to determine the free low molecular weight phenolics in uva-da-serra. Twenty-six phenolic compounds were identified, being chlorogenic acid (17.4mg/g) the predominant. The volatile composition of uva-da-serra and tangerine (129 volatiles), was established by HS-SPME/GC-qMS. Moreover, an emerging extraction technique, NTME, was used for the first time, to define the volatomic profile of foodstuff (lemon - 75 volatiles). The volatile profile highlights terpenes as the dominant chemical family, and the relevant presence of phytochemicals with reported health-promoting benefits, such as limonene (lemon) and thymol (tangerine). The volatomic profile of uva-da-serra was analysed for the first time, being identified 72 volatiles. In addition, application of multivariate statistical analysis to the data results, allow the identification of variables that were able to differentiate among fruits according to species, variety, sample type, and ripening stage, supporting the certification of their origin and authenticity, and improving crop quality. The total phenolics, antioxidant, antidiabetic and antihypertensive activities of the target fruits confirmed the health-promoting potential of these fruits, highlighting the potential of added-value of the targeted fruit extracts, constituting a natural biosource of compounds to be used in different fields including food, cosmetics and pharmaceutical industries.