Impact of ripening on the health-promoting components from fruta-do-lobo (Solanum lycocarpum St. Hill)

Health Benefits of the Alkaloids from Lobeira (Solanum lycocarpum St. Hill): A Comprehensive Review

Solanum is the largest genus within the Solanaceae family and has garnered considerable attention in chemical and biological investigations over the past 30 years. In this context, lobeira or "fruta-do-lobo" (Solanum lycocarpum St. Hill), a species predominantly found in the Brazilian Cerrado, stands out. Beyond the interesting nutritional composition of the fruits, various parts of the lobeira plant have been used in folk medicine as hypoglycemic, sedative, diuretic, antiepileptic, and antispasmodic agents. These health-beneficial effects have been correlated with various bioactive compounds found in the plant, particularly alkaloids. In this review, we summarize the alkaloid composition of the lobeira plant and its biological activities that have been reported in the scientific literature in the last decades. The compiled data showed that lobeira plants and fruits contain a wide range of alkaloids, with steroidal glycoalkaloid solamargine and solasonine being the major ones. These alkaloids, but not limited to them, contribute to different biological activities verified in alkaloid-rich extracts/fractions from the lobeira, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, antigenotoxic, antidiabetic, antinociceptive, and antiparasitic effects. Despite the encouraging results, additional research, especially toxicological, pre-clinical, and clinical trials, is essential to validate these human health benefits and ensure consumers' safety and well-being.

Antioxidant, Antiproliferative and Anti-Enzymatic Capacities, Nutritional Analysis and UHPLC-PDA-MS Characterization of Ungurahui Palm Fruits (Oenocarpus bataua Mart) from the Peruvian Amazon

Ungurahui, or Patawa, fruits are a popular fruit and medicinal food used in the Amazon. Here, we have studied nine natural populations of ungurahui from the Peruvian Amazon regarding their nutritional and biological activities, including metal composition, proximal analyses, cytotoxic, antioxidant and cholinesterase inhibition activities. Twenty-four compounds have been detected in these Peruvian natural populations by UHPLC-MS, including nine phenolic acids (peaks 1–6, 8, 9 and 11), four C-glycosyl flavonoids (peaks 12, 16, 17 and 18), two flavonols (peaks 7 and 10), one flavanol (peak 15), three anthocyanins (peaks 13, 14 and 22) and five resveratrol derivatives (peaks 19–21, 23 and 24). Sample 9, Tunaants, showed the highest DPPH clearing capacity regarding the content of Trolox equivalents (2208.79 μmol Trolox/g), but an ORAC test of the sample collected in San Lorenzo showed the highest clearing activity (1222.28 μmol Trolox/g) and the sample collected in Allpahuayo Mishana showed the most powerful ABTS (1803.72 μmol Trolox/g). The sample from Jenaro Herrera was the most powerful in AChe inhibition (IC₅₀ 2.05 ± 0.03 μg/mL), followed by the sample from Contamana (IC₅₀ 2.43 ± 0.12 μg/mL). In BChE inhibition, the sample from Palestina was the most active (4.42 ± 0.06 μg/mL), followed by samples from Tunaants and San Lorenzo. The differences among bioactivities can be related to the different growing conditions of the populations of ungurahui. The palm tree fruit proved to be a good source of natural antioxidants and dietary fatty acids, and their consumption represents an alternative for the prevention of neurodegenerative or related non-chronic transmittable diseases.

Antihyperlipidemic and Antioxidant Capacities, Nutritional Analysis and UHPLC-PDA-MS Characterization of Cocona Fruits (Solanum sessiliflorum Dunal) from the Peruvian Amazon

Cocona fruits are a popular food and medicinal fruit used mainly in the Amazon and several countries of South America for the preparation of several food products such as drinks, jams and milk shakes. In this study five ecotypes of cocona native to Peru have been studied regarding their nutritional and antioxidants values plus antihyperlipidemic activities. Seventy bioactive compounds have been detected in Peruvian cocona ecotypes including several phenolic acids, aminoacids and flavonoids; of those six were spermidines, (peaks 1, 2, 25, 26, 38 and 39), thirteen were aminoacids, (peaks 3-9, 11-13, 16, 17, 22-24), eighteen flavonoids (peaks 28, 30-32 45,46, 48-53 56, 57, 61 and 64-66), twelve were phenolics (peaks 19, 21, 27, 29, 34, 35, 36, 42, 43, 44, 54, and 59), two carotenoids, (peak 62 and 63), eight were lipid derivatives (peaks 37, 55, 58, 60 and 67-70), one sugar (peak 47), four terpenes (peaks 33, 40, 41 and 47), two amides, (peaks 10 and 18), one aldehyde, (peak 15), and three saturated organic acids, (peaks 4, 5 and 20). Hypercholesterolemic rats administered with pulp of the ecotypes CTR and SRN9 showed the lowest cholesterol and triglyceride levels after treatment (126.74 ± 6.63; 102.11 ± 9.47; 58.16 ± 6.64; 61.05 ± 4.00 mg/dL, for cholesterol, triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein and low-density lipoprotein respectively, for the group treated with SRN9 pulp, and 130.09 ± 8.55; 108.51 ± 10.04; 57.30 ± 5.72; and 65.41 ± 7.68 mg/dL, for cholesterol, triglycerides, HDL and LDL lipoproteins respectively for the group treated with CTR pulp). The ecotypes proved to be good sources of natural antioxidants and their consumption represent an alternative for the prevention of atherosclerosis.

Brazilian sunberry (Solanum oocarpum Sendtn): Alkaloid composition and improvement of mitochondrial functionality and insulin secretion of INS-1E cells

Chronic high-glucose levels induce the generation of reactive oxygen species leading to mitochondrial dysfunction, which is one of the pathological triggers in the development of diabetes. This study investigated the alkaloid composition of two fruits of the genus Solanum, fruta-do-lobo (Solanum lycocarpum) and juá-açu (Solanum oocarpum), and their capacity to protect against oxidative damage and defective insulin secretion induced by chronic high-glucose levels. LC-MS and molecular network of fruit crude extracts reveals that juá-açu and fruta-do-lobo contain kukoamines and glycoalkaloids, respectively. Two purification processes were used to enrich those alkaloids. Fruta-do-lobo extract rich in glycoalkaloids showed a strong cytotoxicity effect, however the juá-açu enriched extract was able to protect mitochondrial functionality against glucotoxicity and stimulate insulin secretion even under conditions of hyperglycemia. These results are promising and suggest that juá-açu is a potential source of bioactive compounds for adjuvant/co-adjuvant therapy for diabetes.

Bioactive compounds and antioxidant activities in the agro-industrial residues of acerola (Malpighia emarginata L.), guava (Psidium guajava L.), genipap (Genipa americana L.) and umbu (Spondias tuberosa L.) fruits assisted by ultrasonic or shaker extraction

The aim of this study was to analyze the residue powders of Malpighia emarginata L., Psidium guajava L., Genipa americana L. and Spondias tuberosa L. regarding their total phenolic compounds contents, antioxidant activity (ABTS, DPPH and FRAP), soluble sugars, carotenoids, organic acids by HPLC-DAD/RID and individual phenolic compounds by the UPLC-QDa-MS system. The genipap residue had a high content of soluble sugars (422.72 ± 19.15 mg.g^-1 DW), with a higher content of sucrose (170.83 ± 10.89 mg.g^-1 DW). Nystose was found in the residues of guava (6.59 ± 0.56 mg.g^-1 DW) and umbu (65.61 ± 2.31 mg.g^-1 DW). The residues of acerola and umbu showed contents of β-carotene of 5.84 ± 0.01 mg.g^-1 DW and 0.10 ± 0.05 mg.g^-1 DW, respectively while high concentration (1116.00 ± 2.00 mg.100 g^-1 DW) of tartaric acid was found in acerola residue and quinic acid (6340 ± 104.00 mg.100 g^-1 DW) in umbu residue. Acetone (80%) and ultrasonic extraction were the best conditions for the residues of acerola, guava and genipap, however, for the umbu residue, extraction with shaker showed better results. The acerola and umbu residues showed higher yields of total phenolics, the values being 378.69-444.05 mg GAE.100 g^-1 DW and 326.14-404.36 mg GAE.100 g^-1 DW, respectively, as well as antioxidant activity. Naringenin was the individual phenolic compound with the highest concentration in the residue of acerola and genipap, vanillin in guava and rutin in umbu. Thus, residues powders from acerola, guava, genipap and umbu constitute potential sources of bioactive compounds, which could be used in the food, pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries.