Amazonian Melastomataceae blueberries: Determination of phenolic content, nutritional composition, and antioxidant and anti-glycation activities. (August 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Assunção-Júnior, Silvio O.; Rodrigues, Luciana S.I.; Raposo, Débora S.; Rodrigues, Juliana G.C.; de Lima, Emilly J.S.P.; da Silva, Felipe M.A.; Scudeller, Veridiana V.; Corrêa, André L.; Lima, Emerson S.; Albuquerque, Patrícia M.; Koolen, Hector H.F.; Bataglion, Giovana A.
• Is Part Of: Food research international. Volume 158(2022)
• Publication Date: 2022-08
• Subjects: Amazon -- Polyphenols -- Antioxidant compounds -- Clidemia hirta -- Clidemia rubra -- Clidemia capitellata -- Clidemia japurensis -- Clidemia pustulata -- Tococa bullifera; Food -- Analysis -- Periodicals; Food industry and trade -- Periodicals; Food industry and trade -- Canada -- Periodicals; Food Technology -- Periodicals; Food -- Periodicals; Food-Processing Industry -- Periodicals; Aliments -- Industrie et commerce -- Périodiques; Aliments -- Industrie et commerce -- Canada -- Périodiques; Aliments -- Recherche -- Périodiques; Food industry and trade; Canada; Periodicals; Electronic journals; 664.005
• DOI: 10.1016/j.foodres.2022.111519
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0963-9969

Abstract

Graphical abstract: Highlights: First description of nutritional facts of Amazonian blueberries. Determination of the antioxidant and anti-glycative potentials. Quantitative analysis of anthocyanins and other phenolic compounds. First study with Clidemia capitellata, C. pustulata and Tococa bullifera. Abstract: Berries come from hundreds of different species of plants spread around the world. Blackberries, blueberries and raspberries, for instance, are popular berries that have attracted attention for providing several benefits to human health. Wild berries from the Melastomataceae family are commonly encountered in the Amazon, although these small blue fruits are poorly consumed. Although domesticated fruits give better monetary profits, the consumption of wild fruits is a desirable option to afford income and/or food to communities at the same time as keep the Amazon region preserved. Aiming the divulgation of the nutritional potential of these plants, this paper describes the study of six species of Amazonian blueberries, five of them from the Clidemia genus and one from the Tococa genus, in regard to their nutritional and chemical composition and antioxidant activity (AA). The levels of moisture, ash, protein, lipids, carbohydrates, and the total caloric values obtained for the Amazonian blueberries were comparable to other common edible berries. Although the six species are similar in terms of nutritional composition, their anthocyanin profiles and contents are quite peculiar. Two non-methylated anthocyanins, cyanidin and delphinidin, which bound to a variable number of sugars, characterized the berries of the genera Clidemia and Tococa . Clidemia japurensis, Clidemia hirta and Tococa bullifera were rich in tri-glycosylated anthocyanins, although differences are notable between them. Clidemia pustulata and Clidemia capitellata were characterized by the prevalence of mono-glycosylated anthocyanins, and Clidemia rubra showed a unique profile with mono- and di-glycosylated homologous as the main anthocyanins. In addition to their different chemical profiles, the concentrations of anthocyanins and other phenolic compounds varied a lot among the six species studied. The species C. rubra had the highest total concentration of phenolic acids and flavonoids. Therefore, this study showed that the blueberries analyzed have potential to be better explored, which we suggest doing in a sustainable way, aiming at the preservation of the Amazon's biodiversity.