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Camu-camu (Myrciaria dubia) pulp, seeds, and skin are widely known because of their nutritional properties. However, the seed coat has never been studied as a source of bioactive compounds. Herein, we characterized the phenolic composition, the antioxidant activity, and inhibition of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) of three different extracts (water, propanone, and ethanol) from this residue and assessed the structure-activity using bivariate and multivariate statistical approaches. Phenolic acids and flavonoids were quantified by high-performance liquid chromatography while the ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), inhibition of lipid peroxidation using egg yolk and Wistar rat brain, scavenging of 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical, Folin-Ciocalteu reducing capacity (FCRC), and the inhibition of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) by the extracts were also analyzed. t-Resveratrol was found in camu-camu seed coat for the first time. The aqueous extract had the highest total phenolic content, FRAP, DPPH, FCRC, and inhibition of lipid oxidation using both chemical and biological assays, while the propanone extract showed the opposite behavior but it presented higher in vitro antihypertensive activity. The ethanolic extract exhibited intermediate values for the responses. The association between chemical composition and the functional properties of the camu-camu seed coat extracts were revealed using correlation analysis and principal component analysis.

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The circular economy is an umbrella concept that applies different mechanisms aiming to minimize waste generation, thus decoupling economic growth from natural resources. Each year, an estimated one-third of all food produced is wasted; this is equivalent to 1.3 billion tons of food, which is worth around US$1 trillion or even $2.6 trillion when social and economic costs are included. In the fruit and vegetable sector, 45% of the total produced amount is lost in the production (post-harvest, processing, and distribution) and consumption chains. Therefore, it is necessary to find new technological and environmentally friendly solutions to utilize fruit wastes as new raw materials to develop and scale up the production of high value-added products and ingredients. Considering that the production and consumption of fruits has increased in the last years and following the need to find the sustainable use of different fruit side streams, this work aimed to describe the chemical composition and bioactivity of different fruit seeds consumed worldwide. A comprehensive focus is given on the extraction techniques of water-soluble and lipophilic compounds and in vitro/in vivo functionalities, and the link between chemical composition and observed activity is holistically explained.

This work aimed to characterize the phenolic composition and in vitro antioxidant and antiproliferative properties of lyophilized camu-camu (Myrciaria dubia) seed extract (LCE), and to assess the effects of LCE on the antioxidant and sensory traits of yogurt. The LCE contained 46.3% (wt/wt) total phenolic content; the main compounds quantified were vescalagin, castalagin, gallic acid, procyanidin A2, and (−)-epicatechin. The LCE had antioxidant activity, as measured by different chemical assays (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl, Folin-Ciocalteu reducing capacity, total reducing capacity, ferric reducing antioxidant power, and Cu 2+ chelating capacity), and inhibited the cell proliferation of HepG2 cells (human hepatoma carcinoma; IC 50 = 1,116 µg/ mL) and Caco-2 cells (human colorectal adenocarcinoma epithelial cells; IC 50 = 608.5 µg/mL). In addition, LCE inhibited the in vitro activity of α-amylase, α-glucosidase, and angiotensin-converting enzyme, and protected DNA from peroxyl radical-induced scission. When added to yogurts, different concentrations of LCE (0, 0.25, 0.5, 0.75, and 1.0 g/100 g) increased the chemical antioxidant and reducing capacities. The camu-camu yogurt containing LCE at 0.25 g/100 g had an acceptance index of 84%, showing that camu-camu seed extract may be a potential ingredient for addition to yogurts.