## 4 Discussion
However, seasonal changes and environmental conditions can affect their occurrence in the various parts of the plant [47]. The interest in the quantitative analysis of the total phenolic compounds and flavonoids found in the extracts is due to the ability of these substances to sequester free radicals that are harmful to human health [48; 49]. The action of antioxidants, when incorporated intofood, not only preserves the quality of the food but also reduces the risk of developing pathologies such as atherosclerosis, brain dysfunction, and cancer [50]. The correlation between the total amount of phenolic compounds and the antioxidant activity has already been reported [51], as well as that of substances with a benzene ring linked to hydroxyl groups in the compounds and double bonds between carbon atoms, which provide greater stability to the molecule that is the donor of electrons or hydrogen atoms [52]. The different classes of compounds and their chemical characteristics also affect the rate of free radical elimination [53]. The results obtained in this work also corroborate this association, since the phenolic compounds were found in greater quantity in the extract of the leaves of \(D\). _punctata_, and, specifically for total flavonoids, the extracts that stood out most were those of the leaves and the residues of the fruits. Furthermore, by the DPPH free radical capture method, those same extracts were responsible for the lowest IC50 values (117.6 \(\mathrm{\SIUnitSymbolMicro g}\).mL\({}^{-1}\) for leaves and 160.4 \(\mathrm{\SIUnitSymbolMicro g}\).mL\({}^{-1}\) for residues), indicating the promising presence of compounds with higher antioxidant activity (the lower the value of extract concentration required to reduce 50% of the DPPH radical, the greater the antioxidant activity). The TLC analyses also qualitatively demonstrated the presence of antioxidant activity in the extracts of \(D\). _punctata_, however, the samples used are presented as a complex mixture of compounds, requiring fractionation and tests with isolated substances so that it can be affirmed whether the action is determined by the major constituents of the plant parts or by minor constituents, or whether the effect is due to the synergism of all compounds. In addition, the analyses carried out in this study were used to select products with potential antioxidant action and direct other tests, mainly in vivo, with a real substrate (specific substrate or specific additive), where several mechanisms are associated, such as absorption cells, metabolic transformations, excretion, presence of competitive enzymes and antioxidants, which can directly affect the activity of these products. In vivo methods are also difficult to implement, as they depend on the application in biological systems, emphasizing the need for multifaceted tests [54], and the forms of molecular interactions and mechanisms of bioactivity of compounds of natural origin on free radicals in the body is still a challenge for scientists [55]. In a study with extracts from the epicarp + mesocarp (residues) of _Dipteryx alata_ by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS), eighteen phenolic compounds were quantified for the first time, predominantly luteolin and trans-cinnamic acid [56]. These results indicate that species of the _Dipteryx_ genus can be explored as a natural source of phenolic compounds with promising properties. A study with hexanic and ethanolic extracts of \(D\). _alata_ leaves found that the ethanolic fraction had a higher amount of phenolic compounds (112.3 mg GAE g\({}^{-1}\)) and better antioxidant action, considering that the amounts of extract required to decrease the initial concentration of DPPH by 50% were 52.9 \(\mathrm{\SIUnitSymbolMicro g}\).mL\({}^{-1}\), 169.1 \(\mathrm{\SIUnitSymbolMicro g}\).mL\({}^{-1}\), and 181 \(\mathrm{\SIUnitSymbolMicro g}\).mL\({}^{-1}\) for ethanolic, hexanic, and BHT extracts (Butyl-Hydroxy-Toluene--commercial antioxidant), respectively [57].