Acerola Research Articles

Chromosome-scale genome assembly of acerola (Malpighia emarginata DC.).

Acerola (Malpighia emarginata DC.) is a tropical evergreen shrub that produces vitamin C-rich fruits. Increasing fruit nutrition is one of the main targets of acerola breeding programs. Genomic tools have been shown to accelerate plant breeding even in fruiting tree species, which generally have a long life cycle; however, the availability of genomic resources in acerola, so far, has been limited. In this study, as a first step toward developing an efficient breeding technology for acerola, we established a chromosome-scale genome assembly of acerola using high-fidelity long-read sequencing and genetic mapping. The resultant assembly comprises 10 chromosome-scale sequences that span a physical distance of 1,032.5Mb and contain 35,892 predicted genes. Phylogenetic analysis of genome-wide SNPs in 60 acerola breeding materials revealed three distinct genetic groups. Overall, the genomic resource of acerola developed in this study, including its genome and gene sequences, genetic map, and phylogenetic relationship among breeding materials, will not only be useful for acerola breeding but will also facilitate genomic and genetic studies on acerola and related species.

Comparative Evaluation of Antioxidative and Anti-inflammatory Properties of Acerola-Mediated Silver Nanogel and Copper Oxide Nanogel.

The tropical plant acerola of the genus Malpighia includes shrubs and trees with fruit that is high in nutrients and bioactive chemicals. Acerola stands out due to its exceptionally high ascorbic acid content, ranging from 1500 to 4500 mg/100 g. Vitamin C intake greatly influences gingival health. The addition of nanoparticles along with vitamin C-rich acerola exhibits high antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, thereby positively improving gingival health. The antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of aqueous extracts of the acerola plant (Malpighia emarginata) were assessed. Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) and copper oxide nanoparticles (CuONPs) were synthesized using the aqueous extract of acerola cherry gel by the phytogenic fabrication method. The antioxidant potential of silver and copper nanoparticles was evaluated using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), hydrogen peroxide, ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS), and nitric oxide scavenging activities. Increasing concentrations of nanoparticles showed an increase in scavenging activity. Overall, CuONPs and AgNPs exhibited remarkable radical quenching efficacies. The anti-inflammatory effectiveness of CuONPs and AgNPs was monitored, showing suppression of protein denaturation as demonstrated by bovine serum albumin (BSA), egg albumin (EA), and membrane stabilization assays. The results revealed that increasing the doses of CuONPs and AgNPs had a positive impact on the anti-inflammatory activity of the nanoparticles. The present study revealed that both nanoparticles provided better antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. This study also elaborates on the pharmacological potential of both nanoparticles, which could be further explored for application in all healthcare sectors.

Comparison of the physicochemical properties and biological compounds of acerola fruit varieties grown in Vietnam through the various maturation stages

The objective of the present study was to find the changes in physicochemical properties, bioactive compounds, and antioxidant activity of acerola fruits under different cultivars (i.e., Brazilian acerola (Malpighia emarginata D.C) and sour acerola (Malpighia glabra L.)) and maturation stages (unripe, half-ripe, and ripe). For any species, the study found an increase in total soluble solid and a* value, whereas there was a decrease in the content of bioactive compounds (i.e., polyphenols, flavonoids, vitamin C), total acidity, and antioxidant activity, which followed the maturation development of fruits. Briefly, the unripe acerola fruits (Brazillan cultivar) were an excellent source of vitamin C (32.97 mg/g) and phenolic content (25.62 mg GAE/g).

Acerola cherry (Malpighia emarginata) concentrate: separation and purification of vitamin C components and research on immune-regulating synergy

Acerola cherry (Malpighia emarginata) concentrate: separation and purification of vitamin C components and research on immune-regulating synergy

Acerola Cherry and Rosemary Extracts Improve Color and Delay Lipid Oxidation in Previously Frozen Beef.

Extending the shelf life of exported beef could increase international demand and producer profits. The objective was to evaluate the effects of topically applying combinations of acerola cherry powder and rosemary extract on the shelf life of frozen-thawed bone-in beef short rib and chuck roll steaks. Chuck rolls (IMPS 116A; N = 9) and bone-in short ribs (IMPS 123A; N = 18) were aged (7 d; 0 °C), frozen (30 d; -20 °C), and thawed (60-72 h; 0 °C). Steaks measuring 1.02 cm thick were treated and subjected to a 4 d retail display. Steaks were left untreated (control) or sprayed topically with acerola cherry powder (0.05%; A), rosemary extract (0.10%; R), or a combination (M1 = 0.05% A + 0.1% R; M2 = 0.1% A + 0.1% R; M3 = 0.05% A + 0.2% R; M4 = 0.1% A + 0.2% R). Chuck roll M2- and M4-treated steaks were redder than the control steaks on days 3 and 4 (p = 0.008), and antioxidant-treated steaks had less lipid oxidation on day 4 than the control steaks (p = 0.021). Bone marrow samples treated with R, M3, and M4 were redder than the control on days 1-3 (p = 0.014), and bone marrow treated with M3 was subjectively redder compared to the control on days 0 and 1 (p = 0.033). Topical antioxidants improve the redness and delay the oxidation of frozen-thawed beef.

Encapsulation of W/O/W Acerola Emulsion by Spray Drying: Optimization, Release Kinetics, and Storage Stability.

Acerola (Malpighia emarginata DC.) is a sub-tropical and tropical fruit renowned for its high levels of vitamin C and phenolic compounds, which offer health benefits. This study aimed to optimize the spray drying process by determining the inlet and outlet temperatures using response surface methodology (RSM) with the central composite design. Additionally, it aimed to evaluate the release kinetics in the hydrophilic food simulation environment and the stability of the resulting powder under various storage temperatures. The RSM method determined the optimal inlet and outlet temperatures as 157 °C and 91 °C, respectively. High-accuracy prediction equations (R2 ≥ 0.88) were developed for moisture content (3.02%), process yield (91.15%), and the encapsulation yield of total polyphenol content (61.44%), total flavonoid content (37.42%), and vitamin C (27.19%), with a predicted monolayer moisture content below 4.01%, according to the BET equation. The powder exhibited good dissolution characteristics in the acidic hydrophilic food simulation environment and showed greater stability when stored at 10 °C for 30 days, compared to storage at 35 °C and 45 °C.

Fermenting Acerola (Malpighia emarginata D.C.) and Guava (Psidium guayaba L.) Fruit Processing Co-Products with Probiotic Lactobacilli to Produce Novel Potentially Synbiotic Circular Ingredients.

This study evaluated the effects of acerola and guava fruit processing co-products fermented with probiotic Lactobacillus acidophilus LA-05 and Lacticaseibacillus paracasei L-10 on the abundance of different intestinal bacterial groups and microbial metabolic activity during 48 h of in vitro fecal fermentation. Digested fermented fruit co-products increased the relative abundance of beneficial bacterial groups while overall decreasing or maintaining the relative abundance of non-beneficial bacterial groups, suggesting selective stimulatory effects on beneficial bacterial intestinal populations. The fermented co-products stimulated microbial metabolic activity due to decreased pH, sugar consumption, short-chain fatty acid production, phenolic compound and metabolic profile alteration, and high antioxidant capacity during fecal fermentation. Acerola and guava co-products have high nutritional value and bioactive compounds whose fermentation with probiotics improves their potential functionalities. The results show that fermented fruit co-products could induce beneficial changes in the relative abundance of several bacterial groups as well as in the metabolic activity of the human intestinal microbiota. These results highlight their potential as novel and circular candidates for use as synbiotic ingredients.

Acerola (Malpighia emarginata) Anti-Inflammatory Activity-A Review.

The manuscript provides an overview of recent scientific reports on the properties and range of health-promoting effects of acerola (Malpighia emarginata DC) fruits and leaves. Acerola is a natural raw material that, in its unprocessed form, is known to be a rich source of vitamin C and polyphenolic compounds. For this reason, the consumption of acerola may provide a number of health-promoting benefits, particularly related to its strong anti-free radical effects. The review discusses anti-inflammatory and anticancer effects of acerola fruit and leaves as well as its therapeutic effects on selected physiological processes in the human system. Their biochemical mechanisms are also explained. Recommendations for the consumption of acerola in the prevention of inflammatory and free radical diseases are presented. The part of the article devoted to anticancer effects of acerola describes the possibilities of using the edible parts of this raw material to obtain products and preparations of potential use in cancer prevention and therapy.

Lactobacillus HNC7-YLC92 Improves the Fermentation Quality of Cassava–Acerola Cherry Beverage

In order to promote the consumption and application of cassava in the food industry, the cassava–acerola cherry juice beverage was developed using lactic acid bacteria fermentation, which improved the flavor attraction and nutritional value, increased the added value of cassava and acerola cherry. The study investigated the effects of both pure and mixed fermentation using Lactobacillus plantarum (L. plantarum) HNC7 on the chemical compounds and antioxidant activities in cassava–acerola cherry juice. Following 72 h of fermentation, the fruit juice showed increased acidity, a decrease in pH, and higher consumption of soluble solids, and a significant rise in volatile substance content and antioxidant activity (p < 0.05). Notably, the HNC7-YLC92 binary combination demonstrated the most effective fermentation, resulting in a product with uniform color, moderate sourness and sweetness, and a delicate and smooth taste. Overall, the HNC7-YLC92 binary combination, due to its beneficial biological properties, shows great potential as the optimal strain for fermenting this juice. This provides a reference for selecting industrial fermentation conditions and strains, aiming to develop new value-added cassava products and increase their consumption.

Green synthesis of manganese dioxide (MnO2) nanoparticles produced with acerola (Malpighia emarginata) leaf extract

In this work, green synthesis of manganese dioxide nanoparticles was carried out using aqueous extract from acerola leaves (Malpighia emarginata), evaluating the effect of pH and concentration of the plant extract. The materials were characterized by XRD, nitrogen adsorption-desorption (BET), FTIR, TG/DTG, SEM and EDX, showing that the synthesis parameters had a statistically significant effect on the yield and particle diameter. The crystal phase was identified as α-MnO2, in addition to observations of high thermal stability and mesoporous structure with surface areas from 34.074 to 40.298 m2 g−1. The experimental design showed that the effect of pH on the particle size depended on the level of extract concentration used, as for 30 g L−1 an increase in pH decreased the diameter while with 60 g L−1 an opposite effect was observed.

Phytochemical profiles and cytotoxicity evaluation of the ethanolic extract of Malpighia emarginata leaves: Potential for its therapeutic use

Phytochemical profiles and cytotoxicity evaluation of the ethanolic extract of Malpighia emarginata leaves: Potential for its therapeutic use

Association between Cuttings Maturity and Alternative Substrates in the Rooting of Acerola Cherry

Association between Cuttings Maturity and Alternative Substrates in the Rooting of Acerola Cherry

Acerola (Malpighia emarginata) pulp: characterization and stability of anthocyanins under different conditions

Tropical fruits provide a high economic potential and their inclusion in the diet can provide health benefits. In this sense, this study aimed to evaluate the proximal composition, bioactive compounds, antioxidant activity, and stability of anthocyanins of acerola pulp in the absence and presence of light at temperatures of 7 and 21.7°C. The results for the proximal composition (g/100 g) were 93.49 moisture, 0.04 protein, 0.09 lipid, 0.60 ash, and 6.28 carbohydrates, totaling a 28.29 kcal/100 g caloric value. For total bioactive compounds, the results were 3.22 µg/g chlorophyll, 29.71 µg/g carotenoids, 3.74 g/100 g flavonoids, and 6.12 mg/100 g phenolic compounds. Acerola pulp showed high antioxidant activity by DPPH and ABTS methods with values of 6.17 μmol/g and 3.19 mM TEAC/g, respectively. Regarding the stability of anthocyanins, in acerola pulp stored away from light and at a temperature of 7°C, these pigments remained more stable than when subjected to light and a temperature of 21°C. Thus, it was possible to perceive that, in addition to the acerola being important for the food industry, storage under low temperatures and the absence of light can contribute to greater stability of anthocyanin pigments.

Topical Application of Acerola Cherry Powder in Combination With Rosemary Extract Extends the Shelf Life of Beef Chuck Roll and Bone-In Short Rib Steaks

Improving the shelf life of steaks from beef chuck rolls and bone-in short ribs, items commonly exported, will increase the demand of beef in international markets. Our objectives were to determine the effect of topically applying combinations of acerola cherry powder and rosemary extract on steak color and lipid oxidation of beef chuck roll and bone-in short rib. USDA Choice beef chuck rolls (Institutional Meat Purchase Specifications [IMPS] 116A; N=9) andbone-in short ribs (IMPS 123A; N=18) were aged (0°C) 28 d and cut into 1.0 cm-thick steaks. Steak treatments included the following: untreated control (C) or topically sprayed (2 mL) with an acerola cherry powder solution (0.05% A), rosemary extract solution (0.10% R), or mixture of acerola cherry powder and rosemary extract (M1=0.05% A+0.1% R; M2=0.1% A+0.1% R; M3=0.05% A+0.2% R; M4=0.1% A+0.2% R). On day 0 of retail display, oxygen consumption, metmyoglobin-reducing activity, and lipid oxidation were measured. Lipid oxidation was evaluated again following 4 d of retail display. Chuck roll steak color was scored twice daily, whereas short rib lean and bone marrow color were scored once daily throughout 4 d of retail display. Treating chuck roll steaks with M2, M3, and M4 decreased lipid oxidation compared to C and A (P=0.004). In short rib steaks, lipid oxidation remained constant from day 0 to 4 treated with M4 but increased for all other treatments (P<0.001). Chuck roll steaks treated with A, M2, and M3 were redder than C steaks (P=0.001). On days 0 and 4, untreated bone marrow was less red than all the antioxidant treated bone marrow (P=0.011). Antioxidant treatment did not improve subjective lean color for the chuck roll (P=0.324) or bone-in short rib (P=0.081). Topical application of M4 (0.1% acerola cherry powder and 0.2% rosemary extract) reduced lipid oxidation in both chuck roll and bone-in short rib steaks. Additionally, antioxidants alone or in combination with one another improve objective redness scores by up to 2 points; however, the subjective color panel did not observe lean color improvement.

Bayesian and classical approaches for the estimation of genetic parameters and coefficients of repeatability of acerola quality traits

Although acerola (Malpighia emarginata DC.) is a tropical fruit of high interest due to its high ascorbic acid content and attractive sensory attributes, fruit production is characterized by high genetic variability. Additionally, the use of new biometric tools for acerola breeding is scarce. This study aimed to estimate genetic parameters and the coefficient of repeatability, as well as determine the optimal number of fruits for quality trait analyses in different acerola genotypes, using different approaches. Twenty-three (Experiment I) and thirty-five (Experiment II) genotypes were evaluated in a randomized block design with four replicates and three plants per plot. Twenty fruits per plant were harvested and evaluated for the following quality traits: diameter, mass, skin color (lightness, chroma and hue), firmness, soluble solids (SS), titratable acidity (TA), SS/TA ratio, and ascorbic acid content. The genetic parameters and the coefficient of repeatability were estimated for each experiment using classical and Bayesian methods. Both approaches achieved similar results on estimating variance components, genetic parameters and the coefficient of repeatability. Genetic parameters showed favorable conditions for acerola selection. The coefficient of repeatability was high for all acerola quality traits. A total of 17 fruits are required for the effective selection of acerola genotypes with an accuracy of 95%.

Toxicological effects of acute and repeated doses (180 days) of fruits from Malpighia emarginata (acerola) in rodents

Malpighia emarginata has a high amount of vitamin C with pharmacological or food preservation potential. However, despite its wide use and application possibilities its toxicity in repeated doses and for a long time (6 months) has not yet been studied. In this context, this study aimed to evaluate the acute toxicity and repeated doses from fruits of this plant. The extract was produced with the pulp (EMe) of the lyophilized fruit and submitted to chromatographic and spectroscopic analysis (HPLC and ESI-IT-MSn). In the acute test, the EMe was administered orally and parenterally to rodents (mice and rats) for 14 days, at a dose of 2000 mg/kg. Subsequently, the repeated dose toxicity test was administered orally for 180 days at doses of 50, 300 or 1000 mg/kg. The HPLC assay revealed a high concentration of vitamin C (16.3%), and spectroscopic analyses pointed to the presence of five other polyphenolic compounds. In the acute test, the plant extract showed no apparent toxicity or lethality in rodents. The LD50 was estimated to be greater than 2000 mg/kg and falls into category 5 (low toxicity). In the repeated dose assay, there was no evidence of toxicity, and no differences were observed in water intake, food, weight development, or behavior of the animals in relation to the vehicle group (water). However, hematological and biochemical evaluations pointed out some nonconformities in the levels of cholesterol, leukocytes, and neutrophils of the male rats, but overall, these results did not reveal significant toxicity. Therefore, the Level of Unobserved Adverse Effects (NOAEL) was 1000 mg/kg. Together, the results suggest that the extract obtained from the fruits of M. emarginata does not present representative toxicity in rodents.

An opportunity for acerola pulp (Malpighia emarginata DC) valorization evaluating its performance during the block cryoconcentration by physicochemical, bioactive compounds, HPLC–ESI-MS/MS, and multi-elemental profile analysis

The present study evaluated the effect of cryoconcentration of pulp blocks of acerola (Malpighia emarginata DC). The study evaluated cryoconcentration in three stages. The cryoconcentrated samples, the ice fractions, and the initial pulp were evaluated for physicochemical composition, bioactive composition, and multielement profile. The cryoconcentrated sample obtained in the third stage of cryoconcentration showed the best results for the concentration factor, process efficiency, total soluble solids content, red color intensity, and increasing of the macro and micronutrients: Cu, Ca, S, Sr, K, Mn, Na, P, Mg, Fe. All stages presented good performance in the total soluble solids content, increase in the titratable acidity of the concentrates, and progressive increase in the intensity of the red color. Generally, higher levels of total phenolic and antioxidant activity were found for the 2nd and 3rd concentrates. The phenolic activity showed an increase of 166.90% in the 3rd stage concentrate compared to fresh pulp, and the antioxidant activity was 112.10% by the ABTS method and 131.60% by the DPPH method, both in the 3rd stage concentrate. The major individual polyphenols were Ferulic acid, Protocatechuic acid, and Taxifolin, with significant increases in the concentration of the compounds in the 2nd and 3rd stage concentrates. In addition, the contents of potentially toxic metals were below detection limits. During the cryoconcentration process, there was a decrease in the values ​​of vitamin C content, moisture content, density, and elements Cu, Sr, and Zn.

Arabinan-rich pectic polysaccharide fraction from Malpighia emarginata fruits alleviates inflammatory pain in mice

Malpighia emarginata (Malpighiaceae), popularly known as “acerola”, is a tropical and subtropical fruit native to the Americas. Despite its high vitamin C content, which gives it a high antioxidant property, soluble dietary fibers, such as polysaccharides, are also abundant constituents of acerola (10% of the dried fruit). The acerola cold-water soluble (ACWS) fraction presented anti-fatigue and antioxidant effects in vivo and in vitro. To infer further systemic effects of ACWS, this study aimed to investigate the antinociceptive, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant effects of ACWS in murine models of pain. In formalin-induced nociception, ACWS (0.1, 1, and 10 mg/kg) reduced only the inflammatory phase, and also (10 and 30 mg/kg) attenuated the acetic acid-induced writhing and leukocyte migration in the peritoneal cavity. The mechanical allodynia and paw edema induced by intraplantar injection of carrageenan were greatly reduced by ACWS (10 mg/kg). At the inflammatory pick induced by carrageenan (4 h), ACWS significantly reduced myeloperoxidase activity, TNF-α, IL-1β, and PGE2 levels, and restored IL-10 levels. ACWS also exhibited antioxidant properties by decreasing lipid hydroperoxides content, increasing GSH levels, and restoring superoxide dismutase and catalase activities in the carrageenan model and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) scavenging assay. Collectively, these results support the antinociceptive, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant effects of ACWS and reveal a promising candidate for the treatment of inflammatory pain conditions.

Enhancing gel behavior of yellow croaker surimi by fruit extracts: Physicochemical properties and molecular mechanism.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of grape seed extract (GSE), acerola cherry extract (ACE), and blueberry extract (BBE) on the physicochemical properties and structure of the yellow croaker surimi gel. In addition, molecular docking and molecular dynamics (MD) simulation were utilized to study the binding mechanism of yellow croaker's fibrillin and fruit extracts. Surimi gel with 1.5% GSE, ACE, and BBE had the highest water holding capacity, hardness, chewability, cohesion, breaking force, breaking distance, gel strength, and densest 3D network structure, according to the experiment's findings. Nevertheless, the cross-linking of proteins in surimi was blocked with the further increase of fruit extract (1.5%-2.0%), and the existing network of surimi was weakened or even destroyed. Three fruit extracts had little effect on the secondary structure of the surimi gel. Besides, hydrophobic and disulfide bonds are the main chemical bonds of croaker surimi. Molecular docking showed that B-type procyanidine (BP) interacted with ASN-183, SER-571, ASP-525, ARG-350, LYS-188, GLU-349, CYS-353, and other active amino acids in croaker protein. Moreover, it can form strong hydrogen bond interaction with ASN-183, SER-571, ASP-525, and ARG-350 at the active sites of protein. The BP-Larimichthys crocea protein system's MD simulation was carried out, and calculations for the simulation's root mean square deviation, root mean square fluctuation, radius of gyration, solvent accessible surface area, and hydrogen bonds were made. It was found that these indices can demonstrate that the BP binding contributes to the stability of the yellow croaker structure.

Biotransformation potential of the R-(+)-limonene by endophytic fungi strain associated with Amazonian fruit Malpighia emarginata DC

This study aims to offer an account of the biotransformation of limonene through the endophytic fungi strains associated with the Amazonian fruit Malpighia emarginata. The fungal biotransformation was executed in flasks containing the substrate R-(+)-limonene in a mineral medium, which was further incubated at 28 °C on a rotary shaker (120 rpm) for 120 h. Samples of each culture were taken every 24 hours, extracted with ethyl acetate, and analyzed using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry with the National Institute of Standards and Technology database. In this study with five endophytic fungi strains, only Penicillium sp. AF- LAB4 was considered a potential biocatalyst found in the screening due to its capacity to use the R-(+)-limonene as the single carbon and energy source in a mineral medium since they eventually accumulated interesting compound as limonene-1,2-diol (128.10 μL/L) after 48 to 120 h of reaction. This achievement is important and supports the development of the production of natural aromas and demonstrates the potential of using this endophytic fungus strain from the fruit M. emarginata, as a new biocatalyst.