Non-conventional Tropical Fruits: Characterization, Antioxidant Potential and Carotenoid Bioaccessibility

• Published in: Plant foods for human nutrition (Dordrecht) 2019-03, Vol.74 (1), p.141-148
• Main Authors: Berni, Paulo, Campoli, Stephanie S., Negri, Talita C., de Toledo, Nataly M. V., Canniatti-Brazaca, Solange G.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Antioxidants; Bioavailability; Carotene; Carotenoids; Chemistry; Chemistry and Materials Science; Chemistry/Food Science; Diet; Ecology; Fibers; Food Science; Fruits; High-performance liquid chromatography; Human nutrition; Liquid chromatography; Lycopene; Minerals; Natural resources; Nutrition; Original Paper; Plant Physiology; Proteins; Territory; Weight; Xanthophylls
• ISSN: 0921-9668; 1573-9104
• DOI: 10.1007/s11130-018-0710-1

Eleven non-conventional tropical fruits were evaluated regarding their nutritional value, antioxidant potential, carotenoid contents and bioaccessibility. The fruits were chosen due to their spread through the Brazilian territory: araçá-boi, jaracatiá, cambuití, seriguela, capeba, pitangatuba, pitanga, buriti, acerola, dovialis and abricó-da-praia. Results have shown that these fruits are in general, i.e. depending on the fruit, rich sources of dietary fibers and minerals, high in moisture, and low in proteins. Twelve carotenoids were analyzed by HPLC-DAD and results ranged from 0.04 to 104 μg/g wet weight. Xanthophylls stood out, being higher than carotenes for araçá-boi, seriguela, pitangatuba and dovialis. Bioaccessibility varied both between fruits and carotenoids ranging from 2 to 75%. Although the fruit matrix effect, xanthophylls were more bioaccessible than carotenes, while lycopene and γ-carotene presented the poorest bioaccessibility. The present study is fundamental to expand the knowledge about the fruit properties, carotenoids bioaccessibility and potential benefits for health, as well to preserve natural resources and encourage the intake of new fruits for human nutrition.