UHPLC-ESI-QTOF-MS/MS Profiling of Phytochemicals from Araticum Fruit (Annona crassiflora Mart.) and Its Antioxidant Activity

Araticum is a native species of the Brazilian Cerrado with a high potential for exploitation. Several studies have stated that araticum is a rich source of phytochemicals with multifaceted biological actions. However, little information is available regarding the characterization of phytochemicals found in the pulp of this fruit. In this context, this study aimed to carry out a comprehensive characterization of phytochemicals present in the araticum pulp using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to a quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometer (UHPLC-ESI-QTOF-MS/MS). The antioxidant potential of araticum pulp was also evaluated. UHPLC-ESI-QTOF-MS/MS profiling of the phytochemicals allowed for the identification and annotation of 139 phytochemicals, including organic acids, jasmonates, iridoids, phenolic compounds, alkaloids, annonaceous acetogenins, fatty acid derivatives, and other compounds. Among them, 116 compounds have been found for the first time in araticum pulp. Phenolic compounds and their derivatives represented about 59% of the phytochemicals identified in the extract. Moreover, araticum pulp showed high total phenolic compound content and antioxidant activity. The majority of identified phytochemicals have been associated with key roles in the plant's defense mechanisms against biotic and abiotic stress factors in the Cerrado environment. Furthermore, many of these phytochemicals found in the araticum pulp are already widely recognized for their beneficial effects on human health. Our findings showed that the araticum fruit contains different classes of phytochemicals that exert various biological activities, both in the plant itself and in humans.

Non-Thermal Supercritical Carbon Dioxide Processing Retains the Quality Parameters and Improves the Kinetic Stability of an Araticum Beverage Enriched with Inulin-Type Dietary Fibers

Fruit-based beverages have been considered excellent food vehicles for delivering prebiotics. However, the conventional thermal processes currently used to microbiologically and enzymatically stabilize these products may cause significant losses in their sensory, physicochemical, nutritional, and bioactive characteristics. Thus, in this study, we evaluate the effect of different levels of pressure (8, 15, and 21 MPa) and temperature (35 and 55 °C) on the characteristics of an inulin-enriched araticum beverage processed with non-thermal supercritical carbon dioxide (SC-CO₂) technology. The temperature showed a significant effect on total soluble solids, pH, particle size distribution, and kinetic stability. In contrast, pressure affected only the particle size distribution. The interaction between pressure and temperature influenced the total soluble solids, pH, and particle size distribution. Color parameters, ζ-potential, and glucose and fructose contents were not modified after all SC-CO₂ treatments. Moreover, the SC-CO₂ treatments preserved the inulin molecular structure, thus maintaining its prebiotic functionality. Overall, the SC-CO₂ treatment did not alter the sensory, nutritional, and functional quality of the beverage, while improving its physical stability during storage. Therefore, non-thermal SC-CO₂ treatment can be an alternative to current conventional processes for stabilizing inulin-enriched fruit-based beverages.

Scientific Advances in the Last Decade on the Recovery, Characterization, and Functionality of Bioactive Compounds from the Araticum Fruit (Annona crassiflora Mart.)

Araticum (Annona crassiflora Mart.) is a native and endemic species to Brazilian Cerrado whose fruits have high sensorial, nutritional, bioactive, and economic potential. Its use in local folk medicine, associated with recent scientific findings, has attracted growing interest from different industrial sectors. Therefore, understanding the scientific advances achieved so far and identifying gaps to be filled is essential to direct future studies and transform accumulated knowledge into innovative technologies and products. In this review, we summarize the phytochemical composition, bioactivities, and food products from araticum fruit that have been reported in the scientific literature over the past 10 years. The compiled data showed that araticum fruit parts contain a wide range of bioactive compounds, particularly phenolic compounds, alkaloids, annonaceous acetogenins, carotenoids, phytosterols, and tocols. These phytochemicals contribute to different biological activities verified in araticum fruit extracts/fractions, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-Alzheimer, anticancer, antidiabetic, anti-obesity, antidyslipidemic, antinociceptive, hepatoprotective, healing of the cutaneous wound, antibacterial, and insecticide effects. Despite the promising findings, further studies-particularly toxicological (especially, with byproducts), pre-clinical, and clinical trials-must be conducted to confirm these biological effects in humans and assure the safety and well-being of consumers.

Underexploited Brazilian Cerrado fruits as sources of phenolic compounds for diseases management: A review

The Brazilian Cerrado is home to a large number of native and endemic species of enormous potential, among which we can highlight the cagaita, gabiroba, jatobá-do-cerrado, lobeira, and mangaba. In this review, we report the nutritional and phenolic composition, as well as bioactivities of these five Brazilian Cerrado fruits. The compiled data indicated that these fruits have high nutritional, functional, and economic potential and contribute to the daily intake of macro- and micronutrients, energy, and phenolic compounds by inhabitants of the Cerrado region. Phenolic-rich extracts obtained from these fruits have shown several bioactivities, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antidyslipidemic, antidiabetic, analgesic, anticarcinogenic, hepatoprotective, gastrointestinal protective, and antimicrobial properties. Therefore, these fruits can be explored by the food industry as a raw material to develop food products of high value-added, such as functional foods, and can also be employed as plant sources to obtain bioactive compounds for food, cosmetic, and pharmaceutical purposes.

Functional and nutritional properties of selected Amazon fruits: A review

This review reports the nutritional, phytochemical compounds and biological properties of 4 fruits commonly consumed by people living in Amazon region, namely Biribá (Rollinia mucosa Jacq.), Rambutan (Nephelium lappaceum L.), Pupunha (Bactris gasipaes Kunth) and Tucumã (Astrocaryum aculeatum Meyer). These fruits have been high held nutritional, functional and economic potential and contribute to the daily intake of nutrients, energy and bioactive compounds by people living in Amazon rainforest region. Phytochemical compounds with biological properties were detected in these fruits, for instance (but not limited to), annonaceous acetogenins in Biribá, geraniin and corilagin in Rambutan, rutin and catechin in Pupunha, and β-carotene and flavonoids in Tucumã. The biological properties of Biribá, Rambutan, Pupunha and Tucumã have been evaluated by in vitro and in vivo assays, especially antioxidant and antimicrobial activities. Therefore, these Amazonian fruits can be exploited by the food industry as a food and therapeutic plant-material to develop valuable products, such as medicine products and can be used as sources for obtaining compounds for the food, cosmetics and pharmaceutical applications.

Anthocyanins Recovered from Agri-Food By-Products Using Innovative Processes: Trends, Challenges, and Perspectives for Their Application in Food Systems

Anthocyanins are naturally occurring phytochemicals that have attracted growing interest from consumers and the food industry due to their multiple biological properties and technological applications. Nevertheless, conventional extraction techniques based on thermal technologies can compromise both the recovery and stability of anthocyanins, reducing their global yield and/or limiting their application in food systems. The current review provides an overview of the main innovative processes (e.g., pulsed electric field, microwave, and ultrasound) used to recover anthocyanins from agri-food waste/by-products and the mechanisms involved in anthocyanin extraction and their impacts on the stability of these compounds. Moreover, trends and perspectives of anthocyanins' applications in food systems, such as antioxidants, natural colorants, preservatives, and active and smart packaging components, are addressed. Challenges behind anthocyanin implementation in food systems are displayed and potential solutions to overcome these drawbacks are proposed.

Plants from the genus Eugenia as promising therapeutic agents for the management of diabetes mellitus: A review

This review combined scientific data regarding the use of genus Eugenia plants for the management of diabetes. Diabetes mellitus is a chronic metabolic disease mainly characterized by hyperglycaemia, which can lead to serious health complications. Scientists have been seeking therapeutic compounds in plants, reporting the species of the genus Eugenia as a potential source of phytochemicals with antidiabetic properties. In vitro and in vivo studies have proved that the bioactive compounds in the genus Eugenia can positively affect the biomarkers of diabetes. We discussed the phytochemical profile of the genus Eugenia and its mechanism of action on diabetes, which could modulate carbohydrate metabolism, glucose homeostasis, and insulin secretion, inhibit carbohydrases and reduce oxidative stress, suppressing the formation of advanced glycation end-products and protecting/regenerating pancreatic β-cells. Therefore, plants of the genus Eugenia showed therapeutic potential to be used in the treatment of diabetes and its comorbidities.

Antioxidant, antiproliferative and healing properties of araticum (Annona crassiflora Mart.) peel and seed

Araticum (Annona crassiflora Mart.) is a native fruit from Brazilian Cerrado widely used by folk medicine. Nevertheless, the biological effects of its seeds and peel have not been extensively evaluated. We evaluate herein the antioxidant, antiproliferative and healing potential of araticum peel and seeds extracts. HPLC-ESI-MS/MS analysis showed flavonoids, namely epicatechin and quercetin, as the main compounds in peel and seeds extracts, respectively. These extracts showed high content of phenolic compounds (7254.46 and 97.74 µg/g extract) and, as consequence, high antioxidant capacity. Interesting, the seeds extract was more effective than peel extract against all tested cancer cells, especially on NCI-ADR/RES (multidrug resistant ovary adenocarcinoma) cell line. In the cell migration assay by using HaCaT (keratinocyte), the seeds extract induced migration, while the peel extract showed an inhibitory effect. In this way, phenolic content could be related to antioxidant capacity, but it was not related to antiproliferative and healing effect. The araticum seeds extract showed an interesting response to in vitro biological assay although of its low content of phenolic compounds. Unidentified compounds, such as alkaloids and annonaceous acetogenins could be related to it. Araticum has potential to be used as therapeutic plant especially as antiproliferative and healing drug.

Obtaining a novel mucilage from mutamba seeds exploring different high-intensity ultrasound process conditions

We evaluated the effect of ultrasonic power (200-600 W) and process time (1-7 min) on the recovery of a novel polysaccharide from mutamba (Guazuma ulmifolia Lam.) seeds applying high-intensity ultrasound. Ultrasound process conditions intensification gradually was removing the mucilage layer around the hydrated seeds. Then, the scanning electron micrographs showed that the mucilage was removed completely at the highest applied energy density (10,080 J/mL). Although the colour of mutamba seed mucilage (MSM) have been changed due to increase of energy density, it not affects its practical use because the MSM can be purified to remove impurities. The results obtained in this study demonstrated that the ultrasound process conditions intensification did not affect the primary structure of MSM according to ζ-potential, FTIR spectrum, and monosaccharide residues data. In conclusion, ultrasound process conditions intensification allows the full recovery of the MSM at a short process time (7 min) without altering its quality and the primary structure.

Araticum (Annona crassiflora Mart.) as a source of nutrients and bioactive compounds for food and non-food purposes: A comprehensive review

Araticum (Annona crassiflora Mart.) is a fruitful tree native to the Brazilian Cerrado biome that holds high nutritional, functional and economic potential. This plant has been used since ancient times by folk medicine for the treatment of several pathological conditions. There has been increasing interest in the development of pulp-based food products as well as the by-products utilization to obtain value-added ingredients. Understanding the chemical composition and biological activities of different botanical parts of Annona crassiflora Mart. provides a basis to support future researches and applications. In this context, this paper carries out an exhaustive review of the scientific literature, on the main phytochemicals of different botanical parts of Annona crassiflora Mart. (fruit, leaves, stem and root) and their biological activities, assessing their potential uses for several industrial segments. Annona crassiflora Mart. fruits and especially their by-products (peel and seeds) and leaves have been shown a wide range of bioactive compounds such as phenolic compounds, alkaloids, annonaceous acetogenins, tocols, carotenoids, phytosterols, dietary fiber, vitamins, minerals and essential oils. These compounds contribute to various biological activities, including antioxidant, hepatoprotective, anti-inflammatory, antitumoral, analgesic, antidiabetic, skin healing, antidiarrhoeic, antimicrobial, antiparasitic, insecticide and herbicide activities of Annona crassiflora Mart. extracts. Therefore, these findings demonstrate that Annona crassiflora Mart. fruit, by-products and leaves can be excellent candidates to be used as functional foods and/or sources for obtaining bioactive compounds for the food, cosmetics and pharmaceutical applications.

Chemical Composition and Antioxidant Activity of Monguba (Pachira aquatica) Seeds

Monguba fruit has a seed with a chestnut-like flavor that can be consumed boiled, fried, and roasted. These nutritious seeds also have been used in popular medicine to treat several diseases. Nevertheless, the nutritional and functional potential of monguba seed is still underexploited. In this sense, we investigated the nutritional and functional components of monguba seeds. These seeds showed high total content of sugars, mainly sucrose, whereas the content of the raffinose family oligosaccharides was low. The mineral assay showed high amount of minerals, namely potassium, calcium, magnesium and zinc, which indicate that monguba seeds can be a new source of these minerals. UHPLC-ESI-MS/MS analysis showed caffeic, ferulic and 4-hydroxybenzoic acids as the main phenolic compounds, mainly in the esterified form, in these seeds. Monguba seed showed high lipid content, in which the main compounds were palmitic acid and γ-tocopherol. The soluble and insoluble phenolic fractions from monguba seeds showed high antioxidant activity measured by the oxygen radical absorption capacity (ORAC) and the trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC) assays. Therefore, the monguba seeds have great potential to be explored by food, pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries due to their chemical composition.

Determination of free, esterified, glycosylated and insoluble-bound phenolics composition in the edible part of araticum fruit (Annona crassiflora Mart.) and its by-products by HPLC-ESI-MS/MS

Phenolics present in the free, esterified, glycosylated and insoluble-bound forms of araticum pulp, peel and seed were for the first time characterized and quantified using HPLC-ESI-MS/MS. Levels of total phenolics, flavonoids, condensed tannins and antioxidant activities from araticum fruit followed the order peel > pulp > seed. Overall, insoluble-bound and esterified phenolics were the dominant forms of phenolics from araticum fruit parts and the highest contributors to their antioxidant activities. Extracts were found to contain contrasting levels of phenolics that were specific to each fruit part. From 10 phenolics quantified in araticum fruit, catechin and epicatechin were the major ones from pulp and peel, whereas seed displayed caffeic acid, catechin and epicatechin as its main phenolics. Araticum fruit was found to provide a good source of phenolics, and the full exploitation of this fruit may find applications in the food, cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries.

Physicochemical characterization and antioxidant activity of Calabura fruit (Muntingia calabura L.)

The objective of this work was to determine the physical and physicochemical characteristics, proximate composition, antioxidant activity, total phenolic compounds, vitamin C content and total anthocyanins of different fractions of the calabura fruits (peel, pulp and whole fruit). The fruits showed average diameter and weight of 14.50 mm and 1.57 g, respectively, and high yield in pulp (75.38%). The whole fruit showed: pH (5.64), titratable acidity (0.11 g citric acid 100 g-1), soluble solids (10.24 °Brix), ratio (93.76), moisture (77.36%), ash (5.65%), lipids (7.79%), proteins (8.29%), crude fiber (5.93%), carbohydrates (72.15%), vitamin C (3.30 mg 100 g-1), phenolic compounds (526.55 mg tannic acid equivalents (TAE) 100 g-1), anthocyanins (4.08 mg cyanidin-3-glucoside equivalents (CGE) 100 g-1) and DPPH IC50 (82.25 μg mL-1).The peel showed high antioxidant activity (82.00 μg mL-1) due to the highest contents of phenolic compounds (868.90 mg TAE 100 g-1), anthocyanins (3.87 mg CGE 100 g-1) and vitamin C (4.20 mg 100 g-1). In conclusion, the calabura fruit showed high content of bioactive compounds with antioxidant properties in vitro.

Development and sensory evaluation of products containing the Brazilian Savannah fruits araticum (Annona crassiflora Mart.) and cagaita (Eugenia dysenterica Mart.)

Summary The objective of this study was to use the pulp of the Brazilian Savannah fruits araticum and cagaita to develop new products, and to evaluate their sensory acceptance by children from 7 to 9 years of age. The products developed were: three milk caramel formulations: DP (standard), DA (araticum pulp) and DB (araticum pulp and grated coconut); three cagaita refresher formulations: RP (cagaita pulp), RA (cagaita pulp and orange juice) and RB (cagaita pulp and carrot juice); and a cagaita jam formulation. It was found that the three formulations of milk caramels were equally accepted (p>0.05), whereas the RA refresher was more accepted (p<0.05) than the others (RP and RB). In addition, the cagaita jam received high sensory acceptance scores. All the products developed were well accepted since their acceptability indexes were greater than 70%. There was no influence (p>0.05) of gender on the sensory acceptability of the products evaluated. It was concluded that the products developed showed good acceptability from a sensory point of view, which suggests high market potential.

Frutos do Cerrado: conhecimento e aceitação de Annona crassiflora Mart. (Araticum) e Eugenia dysenterica Mart. (Cagaita) por crianças utilizando o paladar e a visãodoi: 10.12662/2317-3076jhbs.v3i4.168.p224-230.2015

Objetivo: Avaliar o conhecimento e a aceitação dos frutos do Cerrado Annona crassiflora Mart. (araticum) e Eugenia dysenterica Mart. (cagaita), por crianças, utilizando o paladar e a visão. Métodos: O estudo foi realizado com 190 crianças com idade entre 7 anos e 9 anos e 11 meses da Escola Estadual Professor José Luiz de Araújo no município de Rio Paranaíba (MG), nos meses de março e novembro de 2012. Para a avaliação utilizando o paladar, as crianças foram direcionadas individualmente a uma sala onde foram vendadas, sendo os frutos oferecidos in natura. Para a avaliação por meio da visão, os frutos foram apresentados em sua forma íntegra. As respostas foram analisadas utilizando o Teste Qui-Quadrado, com 5% de significância. Resultados: Com relação à identificação dos frutos, a porcentagem de acerto foi de apenas 1,58% (tanto paladar quanto visão) para o araticum, e de 14,39% (paladar) e 13,67% (visão) para a cagaita. O número de crianças que relatou nunca ter experimento estes frutos anteriormente foi maior (p<0,05) que aqueles que já os provaram. A aceitação da cagaita por ambos os gêneros foi superior (p<0,05) à rejeição, enquanto que o araticum foi mais rejeitado pelos meninos. Não houve diferença (p>0,05) quanto à apreciação/depreciação do araticum por ambos os sentidos, exceto para os meninos que depreciaram este fruto visualmente, já a cagaita apresentou apreciação superior (p<0,05) à depreciação tanto por meio do paladar quanto da visão. Conclusão: A maioria das crianças apresentou um baixo conhecimento sobre ambos os frutos, pois não os haviam experimentado anteriormente; no entanto, foram bem aceitos sensorialmente.