Chemical composition and biological activities of Juçara (Euterpe edulis Martius) fruit by-products, a promising underexploited source of high-added value compounds

Abstract

Abstract The pulp of the fruits of Jucara (Euterpes edulis Martius), a native tree of the Atlantic Rainforest of Brazil, is widely consumed thanks to its flavour and nutritional value. The industrial production of Jucara fruit pulp generates solid residues (peel) which are usually discarded. In this work, a hydroalcoholic extract from Jucara peel flour was evaluated for its phenolic profile as well as for its bioactivities. A total of nineteen phenolic compounds were identified in the Jucara peel flour. Among these, seventeen were non-anthocyanin phenolic compounds, namely two phenolic acids, four flavanonols, six flavones, and five flavonols; whereas the two anthocyanin molecules were cyanidin glycoside derivatives. The Euterpe edulis peel flour presented antioxidant activity and antibacterial potential but was not hepatotoxic. These observations corroborate the idea that this by-product could fit well into the circular bioeconomy concept, thus promoting the Jucara fruit production chain.