Bioactive compounds, health-promotion properties and technological applications of Jabuticaba: A literature overview

Abstract

Jabuticaba is a fruit originally from the Atlantic Forest, and it is found in different Brazilian states. The fruit adapts to the humid tropical and subtropical climate in regions with low average temperatures and warmer areas. The Jabuticaba (Myrciaria spp. or Plinia spp.), including the pulp, husk, seed, and leaf, have high nutritional value and is rich in bioactive compounds, such as anthocyanins, tannins, flavonoids, and phenolic acids. Furthermore, studies have associated the composition of this fruit with several biological activities that promote health benefits, such as anti-inflammatory, hypoglycemic, hypolipidemic, analgesic, and chemopreventive, among others. Consequently, Jabuticaba has been used as a food supplement in producing beverages (juice, beers, liquor, and wine), cosmetic and bakery products, and biodegradable films. In this context, this review presents Jabuticaba's nutritional, phytochemical composition, and biological activities. In addition, it is addressed the updated methods of extracting the bioactive compounds of the fruit, the effect of the simulated gastrointestinal digestion in the secondary metabolites extracted from Jabuticaba, and the recent technological application of the fruit and its products by the industry.