Objective: This integrative review aimed to identify the phenolic compounds present in pitayas (dragon fruit). Methods: We employed a comprehensive search strategy, encompassing full-text articles published between 2013 and 2023 in Portuguese, English, and Spanish from databases indexed in ScienceDirect, Capes Periodics, Scielo, and PubMed. The study’s selection was guided by the question, “What are the main phenolic compounds found in pitaya fruits?”. Results: After screening 601 papers, 57 met the inclusion criteria. The identified phytochemicals have been associated with a range of health benefits, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anxiolytic properties. Additionally, they exhibit promising applications in the management of cancer, diabetes, and obesity. These 57 studies encompassed various genera, including Hylocereus, Selenicereus, and Stenocereus. Notably, Hylocereus undatus and Hylocereus polyrhizus emerged as the most extensively characterized species regarding polyphenol content. Analysis revealed that flavonoids, particularly kaempferol and rutin, were the predominant phenolic class within the pulp and peel of these fruits. Additionally, hydroxycinnamic and benzoic acid derivatives, especially chlorogenic acid, caffeic, protocatechuic, synaptic, and ellagic acid, were frequently reported. Furthermore, betalains, specifically betacyanins, were identified, contributing to the characteristic purplish-red color of the pitaya peel and pulp. These betalains hold significant potential as natural colorants in the food industry. Conclusion: Therefore, the different pitayas have promising sources for the extraction of pigments for incorporation in the food industry. We recommend further studies investigate their potential as nutraceuticals.

The objective of this study was to evaluate sensorially, by professional Q-Grader, the beverage coffee from fermentation natural and fermentation with the use of yeasts and lactic acid bacteria as starter cultures in wet coffee processing. The Arabica coffee was harvested at two different altitudes in Espírito Santo State. Both coffees went through 04 treatments: inoculated with starter cultures Saccharomyces cerevisiae (YML) or Pediococcus acidilactici CCT 1622 (LAF), natural fermentation (NF) (not inoculated) and Control, without fermentation (WF). The coffee was processed by just the wet process. After process and roasting, the sensorial analysis was performed to understand the impact of fermentation processing in the coffee quality, and was performed by 6 Q-Graders, following SCA protocol. The study evidenced that the use of natural fermentation or starter cultures during post-harvest coffee contributed to obtain a quality beverage with pleasurable sensorial characteristics, punctuated by the tasters in the overall score obtained and also by the highsensory scores in attributes such as fragrance, acidity, aftertaste and the different perceived aromas. This work demonstrates for coffee growers that fermentation technology is not intuitive but requires an understanding of the relationship of the microorganisms with the coffee and the environment. In addition to the other chemical aspects of roasting and brew coffee. Key words: Fermentation; Microorganisms; Quality.

The Cerrado, the world's most biodiverse tropical savanna, has had 25% of its native vegetation devastated in recent years. The family Arecaceae, commonly known as palm trees, is one of the ethnobotanical families present in this biome. They are well known for their fruits with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and hypocholesterolemic characteristics. It is estimated that there are about 6,000 species of plants in the Cerrado, but only 30% of them are fully known as to their benefits and potentials. Therefore, the objective of this study is to perform an integrative review on the content of fatty acids, flavonoids and carotenoids of the main fruits of the Cerrado palms: Licuri (Syagrus coronata), guariroba (Syagrus oleracea), buriti (Mauritia flexuosa), buritirana (Mauritiella armata), macaúba (Acrocomia aculeata), butiá (Butia odorata) e coquinho-azedo (Butia capitata). From the search strategies, the databases Science Direct, Google Scholar and CAPES Journals were used. Only articles published between 2019 and 2023 that answered the guiding question were considered. The main carotenoid identified was β-carotene, and the main flavonoids found were: catechin, rutin and quercetin. Several fruits presented saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acid contents Therefore, the presence of these compounds indicates the potential use of the fruits of the Cerrado palm trees, with promising application in the industry.

Selenicereus setaceus a native cactus species from the Brazilian Cerrado, remains largely unexplored with respect to its phytochemical composition. This study investigated the positive-ion chemical fingerprints of the pulp and peel of S. setaceus collected from two Brazilian regions using paper spray mass spectrometry (PS-MS), and evaluated the influence of three extraction strategies (maceration, ultrasound-assisted extraction, and Ultra-Turrax homogenization) on the detected chemical profiles. The commercially cultivated Selenicereus undatus was included for comparative purposes. Twenty-five compounds were tentatively annotated based on precursor ions, tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) fragmentation patterns, and comparison with previously reported data. Betalains represented the predominant class of detected metabolites, particularly in the peel, where several decarboxylated and dehydrogenated betacyanin derivatives were observed. Flavonoids, phenylpropanoids, benzoic acid derivatives, oligosaccharides, and glycosides were also tentatively assigned. Ions compatible with hesperidin, protocatechuic acid-O-hexoside, and paeoniflorin were detected in S. setaceus, expanding the phytochemical information currently available for this underexplored species. The peel of fruits collected in the Federal District exhibited the highest number of tentatively annotated compounds, highlighting its potential as a source of bioactive metabolites for future valorization. Exploratory multivariate analysis further revealed differences between peel and pulp fingerprints and among extraction procedures, although the overall analytical profiles were broadly comparable. Because the study was restricted to positive-ion PS-MS and compound assignments were based on tentative annotations, the reported fingerprints should be interpreted as exploratory rather than comprehensive metabolomic profiles. Nevertheless, the results demonstrate that positive-ion PS-MS provides a rapid and effective platform for the chemical fingerprinting of underexplored Brazilian native fruits and contributes new phytochemical information on S. setaceus.