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Duarte-Casar R, González-Jaramillo N, Bailon-Moscoso N, Rojas-Le-Fort M, Romero-Benavides JC. Five Underutilized Ecuadorian Fruits and Their Bioactive Potential as Functional Foods and in Metabolic Syndrome: A Review. Molecules 2024; 29:2904. [PMID: 38930969 PMCID: PMC11207112 DOI: 10.3390/molecules29122904] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2024] [Revised: 06/08/2024] [Accepted: 06/10/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
The Ecuadorian Amazon harbors numerous wild and cultivated species used as food, many of which are underutilized. This review explores the bioactive potential of five such fruits-Borojó (Alibertia patinoi); Chonta (Bactris gasipaes); Arazá (Eugenia stipitata); Amazon grape (Pourouma cecropiifolia), a wild edible plant; and Cocona (Solanum sessiliflorum)-and their applications against metabolic syndrome. This study highlights their health-promoting ingredients and validates traditional medicinal properties, emphasizing their significance in improving health and mitigating the effects of the Western diet. These fruits, integral to Ecuadorian cuisine, are consumed fresh and processed. Chonta is widely cultivated but less prominent than in pre-Hispanic times, Borojó is known for its aphrodisiac properties, Cocona is traditional in northern provinces, Arazá is economically significant in food products, and Amazon grape is the least utilized and researched. The fruits are rich in phenolics (A. patinoi, E. stipitata) and carotenoids (B. gasipaes, E. stipitata), which are beneficial in controlling metabolic syndrome. This study advocates for more research and product development, especially for lesser-known species with high phenolic and anthocyanin content. This research underscores the economic, cultural, and nutritional value of these fruits, promoting their integration into modern diets and contributing to sustainable agriculture, cultural preservation, and public health through functional foods and nutraceuticals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rodrigo Duarte-Casar
- Tecnología Superior en Gestión Culinaria, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador Sede Manabí, Portoviejo 130103, Ecuador; (R.D.-C.); (M.R.-L.-F.)
| | - Nancy González-Jaramillo
- Maestría en Alimentos, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja, Loja 110108, Ecuador;
| | - Natalia Bailon-Moscoso
- Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja, Loja 110108, Ecuador;
| | - Marlene Rojas-Le-Fort
- Tecnología Superior en Gestión Culinaria, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador Sede Manabí, Portoviejo 130103, Ecuador; (R.D.-C.); (M.R.-L.-F.)
| | - Juan Carlos Romero-Benavides
- Departamento de Química, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja, Loja 110108, Ecuador
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Coyago-Cruz E, Guachamin A, Villacís M, Rivera J, Neto M, Méndez G, Heredia-Moya J, Vera E. Evaluation of Bioactive Compounds and Antioxidant Activity in 51 Minor Tropical Fruits of Ecuador. Foods 2023; 12:4439. [PMID: 38137243 PMCID: PMC10742603 DOI: 10.3390/foods12244439] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2023] [Revised: 11/23/2023] [Accepted: 12/04/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Less common tropical fruits have been the subject of little research, leaving a vast field to be explored. In this context, a comprehensive study was carried out on the bioactive compounds and antioxidant capacity of 51 non-traditional fruits consumed in Ecuador. Vitamin C, organic acids, carotenoids, and phenolic compounds were evaluated using microextraction and rapid resolution liquid chromatography (RRLC) techniques, while antioxidant activity was measured using microplate readings. The results showed high levels of vitamin C (768.2 mg/100 g DW) in Dovyalis hebecarpa, total organic acids (37.2 g/100 g DW) in Passiflora tripartita, carotenoids (487.0 mg/100 g DW) in Momordica charantia, phenolic compounds (535.4 mg/g DW) in Nephelium lappaceum, Pourouma cecropiifolia (161.4 µmol TE/g DW) and Morus alba (80.5 µmol AAE/g DW) in antioxidant activity. Effective extraction of carotenoids was also observed using a mixture of methanol: acetone: dichloromethane (1:1:2) with an extraction time of 2 min, while an 80% solution of 0.1% acidified methanol with hydrochloric acid with an extraction time of 3 min was highly effective for phenolics in fruit. These results provide a valuable basis for optimising future extraction processes of bioactive compounds from non-traditional fruits, with significant implications for their potential use in various nutritional and pharmaceutical contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Coyago-Cruz
- Carrera de Ingeniería en Biotecnología de los Recursos Naturales, Universidad Politécnica Salesiana, Sede Quito, Campus El Girón, Av. 12 de Octubre N2422 y Wilson, Quito 170143, Ecuador
| | - Aida Guachamin
- Carrera de Ingeniería en Biotecnología de los Recursos Naturales, Universidad Politécnica Salesiana, Sede Quito, Campus El Girón, Av. 12 de Octubre N2422 y Wilson, Quito 170143, Ecuador
| | - Michael Villacís
- Carrera de Ingeniería en Biotecnología de los Recursos Naturales, Universidad Politécnica Salesiana, Sede Quito, Campus El Girón, Av. 12 de Octubre N2422 y Wilson, Quito 170143, Ecuador
| | - Jason Rivera
- Carrera de Ingeniería en Biotecnología de los Recursos Naturales, Universidad Politécnica Salesiana, Sede Quito, Campus El Girón, Av. 12 de Octubre N2422 y Wilson, Quito 170143, Ecuador
| | - María Neto
- Carrera de Ingeniería en Biotecnología de los Recursos Naturales, Universidad Politécnica Salesiana, Sede Quito, Campus El Girón, Av. 12 de Octubre N2422 y Wilson, Quito 170143, Ecuador
| | - Gabriela Méndez
- Carrera de Ingeniería en Biotecnología de los Recursos Naturales, Universidad Politécnica Salesiana, Sede Quito, Campus El Girón, Av. 12 de Octubre N2422 y Wilson, Quito 170143, Ecuador
| | - Jorge Heredia-Moya
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica (CENBIO), Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud Eugenio Espejo, Universidad UTE, Quito 170527, Ecuador
| | - Edwin Vera
- Escuela Politécnica Nacional, Departamento de Ciencias de los Alimentos y Biotecnología, Facultad de Ingeniería Química, Av. 12 de Octubre N2422 y Veintimilla, Quito 170524, Ecuador
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