Jujube fruit: A potential nutritious fruit for the development of functional food products

Abstract

• Jujube fruit is a rich source of nutritional compounds. • The processing and development of jujube-based food products is summarized. • The biological activities of jujube products are discussed. • This review will be useful for research and application of jujube fruit. Jujube belongs to the Rhamnaceae family and is a popular fruit worldwide. Jujube has a long history of usage as traditionally healthy food. However, jujube fruits have a short shelf-life and it can be stored for no more than ten days under non-controlled conditions. Thus, the processing of jujube to product is one of the best options for long time storage. This review aims to highlight the nutritional importance of jujube fruit and its potential application for the development of commercial food products. It also addresses the health benefits of jujube-based food products. Moreover, jujube products possess high nutritional and biological value, which can be incorporated into different food formulations to improve product quality. Therefore, jujube fruit can be a promising food ingredient for the development of functional food products to achieve high consumer acceptability and health benefits.