Native Brazilian Fruits

Over 2,000 species of fruits from the tropics can be found in America, Africa, Asia, and Australia. In America, nearly 1,000 species belonging to 80 families have been identified and approximately 400 can be found in Brazil, a country characterized by its biodiversity (Rufino etal. 2010). 

Brazil is home to exotic fruits with imique chemical and sensory attributes. A great number of them are underexploited native fruits, with great potential for international markets. Another particularity of Brazilian native fruits is their riehness in flavonol, mainly quercetin derivatives, when compared to well-known fruit sources such as apples (Genovese et al. 2008 Aheme and O Brien 2002). Despite their vast potential, little is known about their functionality and bioactive ingredients. Some of these fruits are listed in Table 21.2 and will be presented below. 

TABLE 21.2. Botanical Identification of Some Brazilian Native Fruits. 

Abiu Amazonia Sapotaceae Po uteri a calmito (Ruiz et Pavon) Radik. 

Apai Amazonia Arecaceae Euterpe oleracea Mart. 

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Therefore, this chapter discusses selected tropical fruits, in regard to the bioactive ingredients present, including the residues produced as byproducts of the fruit processing. It also lists the potential health benefits against emerging oxidation-linked diseases derived from constant fruit intake. A special topic that deals with native Brazilian fruits, particularly those from the Amazon region that have attracted considerable attention in recent years, is presented at the end of the chapter. 

Camu-camu contains the highest vitamin C and total phenolic content (397 and 1797 mg/100 gFW, respectively) and the highest DPPH scavenging capacity when compared to several other native Brazilian fruits (Genovese et al 2008). Citric acid was the major acid detected (from 19.8 up to 29.8 g/kg) and potassium was the most abundant mineral (711 mg kg ) (Zapata and Dufour 1993). 

Draw a resonance structure of the compound below, which was isolated from the fruits of Ocotea corymbosa, a native plant of the Brazilian Cerrado. 

Cambuci fiaiits are green, ovoid-rhomboidal, 4-6 cm in diameter fruits, with 1 to 4 seeds, a sweet aroma, but extremely sour taste (Figure 21.11). It is native to the Brazilian state of Sao Paulo and it is consumed mainly as juice, jellies, liqueurs, and ice creams (Kawasaki and Landrum 1997). The fruit contains quercetin, kaempferol, and ellagic acid derivatives (Genovese et al. 2008). 

Gonsalves, A., Lajolo, F., and Genovese, M. 2010. Chemical composition and antioxidant/antidia-hetic potential of Brazilian native fruits and commercial frozen pulps. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 58 (8), 4666—4674. 

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