Quality Attributes and Metabolic Profiles of Uvaia (Eugenia pyriformis), a Native Brazilian Atlantic Forest Fruit.

The uvaia is a native Brazilian Atlantic Forest Myrtaceae fruit with a soft pulp, ranging from yellow to orange, with a sweet acidic flavor and sweet fruity aroma. Uvaias present consumption potential, but their physicochemical characteristics are still understudied. In this context, we describe herein the metabolites of uvaia that have been determined by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. We screened 41 accessions and selected 10 accessions based on their diversity of physicochemical attributes, i.e., their fresh mass, height, diameter, yield, seed mass, total soluble solids, and titratable acidity. Twenty-six metabolites were identified, including sugars, acids, and amino acids. The results of this study comprise the most complete report on sugars and acids in uvaias. The relevant metabolites in terms of abundance were the reducing sugars glucose and fructose, as well as malic and citric acids. Furthermore, this study represents the first description of the uvaia amino acid profile and an outline of its metabolic pathways. Uvaia quality attributes differ among accessions, demonstrating high variability, diversity, and several possibilities in different economic areas. Our findings may help in future breeding programs in the selection of plant material for industries such as food and pharmaceuticals.

Bioactive Compounds and In Vitro Antioxidant Capacity of Cambuci and Uvaia: An Extensive Description of Little-Known Fruits from the Myrtaceae Family with High Consumption Potential.

Cambuci (Campomanesia phaea O. Berg Landrum) and uvaia (Eugenia pyriformis Cambess), both native Atlantic Rainforest fruits, are noteworthy for being rich in bioactive compounds and their significant antioxidant capacity. Despite the numerous known edible fruits in the world, consumption by humans is most often restricted to a few dozen of them. Such behavior occurs, among other reasons, due to the lack of knowledge about fruits not yet commercialized on a large scale. This study quantified the bioactive compound content (total phenolic compounds and ascorbic acid in cambucis and uvaias; proanthocyanidins in cambucis, and total carotenoid profile and individual carotenoids for grapes) and antioxidant capacity of the edible parts (peel and pulp) of cambuci and uvaia accessions, using three methods (ABTS•+, ROO• radical scavenging and HOCl elimination). Cambuci contained higher phenolic compound levels and displayed higher antioxidant capacity determined by the ABTS•+ and ROO• radical scavenging methods than uvaia (139 and 119 mg 100 g-1 of GAE, 10.5 and 7.73 µmol g-1 of TE; 9.17 and 5.92 µmol g-1 of TE, respectively). Vitamin C content and the antioxidant capacity determined by the HOCl elimination method were about 1.5- and 6-fold higher in uvaia compared to cambuci, with the latter being a first-time report for uvaia. Both fruits contained higher levels of bioactive compounds and antioxidant capacity than other commonly consumed fruits.

Classical Food Quality Attributes and the Metabolic Profile of Cambuci, a Native Brazilian Atlantic Rainforest Fruit.

The cambuci is a native Brazilian fruit from the Atlantic Forest biome. A soft and astringent pulp, a green color, and a sweet aroma are its main characteristics. Classical food quality attributes (fresh fruit mass, fruit height, diameters, total soluble solid, titratable acidity, and ratio) and the metabolic profile from ten accessions from three different locations were analyzed herein by analytical methods (refractometry and neutralization titration) and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Concerning sugar content, sucrose was the predominant compound, with glucose and fructose alternating in second, depending on the accession. Citric acid was the most relevant acid, followed by shikimic and quinic acids in quite variable amounts. These three main acids vary in amounts for each accession. Ascorbic acid content emerges as an important quality attribute and makes this fruit nutritionally attractive, due to values comparable to those contained in citric fruits. The main amino acids identified in cambuci were glutamic acid individually or in comprising the tripeptide glutathione (glutamic acid, cysteine, glycine). The quality diversity of the evaluated accessions suggests the potentiality of cambuci use in future breeding programs.

Volatile Compounds and Physicochemical Quality of Four Jabuticabas (Plinia sp.).

The jabuticaba is a native Brazilian fruit that has aroused worldwide interest in terms of its nutritional composition and biological activity. However, research on the profile of volatile compounds (VOCs) emitted by these fruits is rare. This study presents the first identification of VOCs from four jabuticaba species. The aim of the study was to characterize the aromatic profile of the following species: 'Sabará' (Plinia jaboticaba), 'Escarlate' (Plinia phitrantha × Plinia cauliflora), 'Otto Andersen' (Plinia cauliflora), and 'Esalq' (Plinia phitrantha). The analysis was performed by headspace solid-phase microextraction combined with gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (SPME-GC-MS). Multivariate analysis techniques applying the partial least squares-discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) and heatmap were used to compare the results. Fruit quality parameters were determined in terms of fresh mass (g), skin color, soluble solids, and titratable acidity. A total of 117 VOCs was identified including terpenoids, esters, alcohols, aldehydes, alkanes, ketones, and carboxylic acids, with 36 VOCs common to all four species. Terpenes were the majority for all jabuticabas with smaller contributions from other volatile classes, especially ß-cubebene, ß-elemene, and D-limonene for the 'Otto Andersen' jabuticaba.