Abstract
The monguba (Pachira aquatica Aubl.) tree is distributed from southern Mexico to South America. This plant has a variety of applications, including handicraft works, the consumption of its seeds as an alternative to coffee consumption, and the use of monguba bark and seeds in the treatment of vaginal infections in folk medicine. This review aims to draw the attention of researchers to the nutraceutical potential, physicochemical and nutritional composition, and bioactive compounds in the monguba plant for applications in the food, and other industries. After searching for publications containing ‘Pachira aquatica’, ‘monguba’ or ‘munguba’ in titles and abstracts from 1878 to 2021 in six databases, the resulting publications were analyzed, and 54 full-text articles were included in this review. We observed that monguba has not been much explored and it is not widely known, though it is a novel oilseed with nutritional potential since it is rich in oils, proteins, minerals, fibers and phytochemicals. However, in vivo studies are required to verify the current uses of monguba in folk medicine by analyzing potential effects of the fruit, in addition to the compounds related to such bioactivity.
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