Brazilian savannah fruits: Characteristics, properties, and potential applications

Abstract

The Brazilian savannah is the second largest biome of the country, and it displays great biodiversity. The fruits of the native trees have peculiar characteristics and are recognized for their nutritional and therapeutic aspects. However, little is known about their technological and biotechnological potential applications. The existing information concerning these aspects has never been compiled so far. It is known that many of these fruits contain many bioactive compounds of industrial interest, such as carotenoids and phenolic constituents. Another aspect of the fruit is the high fatty acid content of some species. Pequi, bocaiuva, jatoba, baru, amburama, and buriti, for instance, are among those fruits described as being rich in fatty acids, mostly unsaturated ones. Here, we reviewed 18 species from the Brazilian savannah identified to be of interest because of high potencial for sustained medium- and short-term explorations, under the technological and biotechnological aspects, seeking the development of new products from these scarcely studied raw materials.

Antioxidant activity and physico-chemical analysis of Campomanesia rufa (O.Berg) Nied. fruits

“…Chemical studies with Campomanesia genera such as Campomanesia adamantium, Campomanesia pubescens, Campomanesia cambessedeana, Campomanesia corimbosa, Campomanesia aurea, Campomanesia xanthocarpa, Campomanesia guazumifolia, Campomanesia reitziana, and Campomanesia lineatifolia showed high content of phenolic compounds, antioxidants, and vitamin C (Sá et al, 2018;Cardozo et al, 2018;De Andrade Silva;Fonseca, 2016;Da Silva et al, 2016;Emer et al, 2018;Salmazzo et al, 2019;De Souza Duarte et al, 2020).…”

Therapeutic Potential of Brazilian Cerrado Campomanesia Species on Metabolic Dysfunctions

“…South America is considered the territory with one of the greatest biodiversity in terms of fruit and plant species, with the Amazon as the main Brazilian biome in terms of biodiversity. Another important biome is the Brazilian Cerrado, which is the second largest biome, comprising 21% of the land area [ 21 ]. It is located in the middle west of Brazil, possessing a vast diversity of native fruits and plants.…”

“…Even with some studies displaying their properties on health, such as antioxidant properties [ 22 ], most of these are still unknown. However, Brazilian Cerrado edible fruits have a great potential for agricultural use and they are extensively used by the locals due to popular accessibility, together with economic contribution, since these plants are used as local income for their producers and are also important food options [ 21 , 23 ]. These fruits are manually collected and are consumed raw or in the form of food-products, such as juice, liquor, ice-cream, and various types of sweets [ 21 ].…”

“…Another important plant from the Brazilian Cerrado is pequi ( Caryocar brasiliense ) which has displayed anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, decreasing hepatic damage induced by carbon tetrachloride in rats [ 28 ]. Among other species used with medicinal purposes are the genus Campomanesia , belonging to the family Myrtaceae, which is popularly known as guavira [ 21 ]. It has demonstrated effects on health, such as antiulcerogenic [ 29 ], antiprotozoal [ 30 ], anti-inflammatory [ 31 , 32 ], antioxidant [ 33 , 34 , 35 , 36 , 37 ], and antiproliferative [ 38 , 39 ] activities.…”

“…Of these, 24 species may be found in Brazil [ 41 ] and is popularly known as guavira, guabirobeira, or guabiroba, characterized by fruits with a citrus aroma and flavor. Moreover, the fruit may be used as fresh products in the food industry due to its attributes, such as a considerable amount of ascorbic acid acidity, mineral, fiber, and monoterpene hydrocarbons [ 21 ].…”