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.

Myrciaria floribunda, also known as rumberry, is a tree native to the Brazilian Atlantic Forest, where its fruits have the potential for commercial use. This study evaluates the antioxidant potential, determines the phytochemical profile, and chemically characterizes the rumberry fruit. Accessions were sampled from the Rumberry Active Germplasm Bank of the Federal University of Alagoas, Brazil. Physical characteristics, chemical characteristics, and phenolic compound content were analyzed. Chemical profile characterization was carried out using PSMS. Accessions had an average weight of 0.86 g. Accession AC137 presented a higher pulp yield (1.12 g). AC132 and AC156 had larger fruits, AC137 showed greater firmness (5.93 N), and AC160 had a higher and total phenolic content ratio (279.01 ± 11.11). Orange-colored accessions scored higher in evaluated parameters, except for AC160 for phenolic content. Thirty-two compounds were identified on positive ionization mode and 42 compounds on negative ionization mode using PSMS. Flavonoids, followed by the derivatives of benzoic acid, sugars, and phenylpropanoids, were the most prominent. Myricitrin, quercitrin, and catechin stand out as flavonoids that have been reported in previous studies with antioxidant and antimicrobial properties, in addition to health and therapeutical benefits, demonstrating the potential of the rumberry fruit.

The chemical composition of propolis varies between different types, due to the specific vegetation found near the hives and the climatic and soil conditions worldwide. Green propolis is exclusive to Brazil, produced by bees, with the resin of the plant Baccharis dracunculifolia. Brown propolis is a specific variety produced mainly in Northeast Brazil from the plant Hyptis divaricata, also known as “maria miraculosa”. Dark propolis is a variety of propolis produced by bees from the resin of the plant known as Jurema Preta (Mimosa hostilis benth). In this study, the aqueous extracts of green, brown, and dark propolis were analyzed for their antioxidant capacity using ABTS, FRAP, and DPPH, and their chemical profiles were determined using paper spray mass spectrometry. Among the three extracts, green propolis had the highest content of total phenolic compounds (2741.71 ± 49.53 mg GAE. 100 g⁻¹), followed by brown propolis (1191.55 ± 36.79 mg GAE. 100 g⁻¹), and dark propolis had the lowest content (901.79 ± 27.80 mg GAE. 100 g⁻¹). The three types of propolis showed high antioxidant capacity, with green showing the highest antioxidant capacity for the three methods used. Using paper spray mass spectrometry, it was possible to suggest the presence of 116 substances, including flavonoids (56), phenylpropanoids (30), terpenes (25), carboxylic acids (1), benzoic acid derivatives (1), fatty acids (1), amino acids (1) and alkaloids (1). The compounds in the green, brown, and dark propolis extracts reinforce the bioactive potential for application in these tree extracts’ food and pharmaceutical products.

The Annonaceae family is widely distributed in subtropical and tropical regions. Several species of this family are known for their pharmacological and beneficial properties to human health, mainly attributed to flavonoids. The objective of this work was to carry out an integrative review in order to identify the main flavonoids found in some plant parts belonging to the Annona genus: araticum tree (Annona crassiflora Mart.), graviola tree (Annona muricata), atemoya tree (Annona cherimolia Mill × Annona squamosa L.), pinha tree (Annona squamosa), bananinha tree (Annona leptopetala), and marolinho tree (Annona coriacea). Only articles published between the years 2016 to 2021 that answered the guiding question were considered, in order to obtain recent data. Then, search strategies were designated for each database used: Science Direct, CAPES Periodicals, and Scielo. Most of the studies retrieved from the databases are related to fruits. The results showed that the number of flavonoids identified varies according to the analytical methodology used to identify and quantify the compounds. Quercetin was the most commonly found compound in all fruits of the Annona genus studied, and epicatechin, rutin, and kaempferol were also found to a lesser extent. The presence of these compounds in Annona makes the fruit promising, with potential applicability in the pharmaceutical and food industry.

The Eugenia brasiliensis, known as grumixama, is a fruit native to the Brazilian biodiversity and has characteristic flavor and aroma, bioactive compounds with antioxidant properties and benefical health characteristic. Since the consumer market is focused on the demand for products with natural and functional appeal, this study aimed to characterize the grumixama pulp, evaluate the antioxidant potential and trace chemical and volatile organic compounds of this fruit profile. For this purpose, analyzes of titratable acidity, pH, moisture, proteins, ash, fibers, total sugars, and lipids were performed. The determination of total phenolic compounds used the Folin-Ciocalteu method, and the antioxidant activity used the radical ABTS test. The characterization of the chemical profile consisted of obtaining fingerprints using Paper spray PS/MS and the extraction of volatile organic compounds employing solid-phase microextraction (SPME) using PDMS/DVB fiber and subsequent separation and identification by CG-MS. The grumixama pulp stood out for its acidity and high fiber content (20.34g/100g of pulp), in addition to presenting average levels of total phenolic compounds (173.85 ± 3.21 mg 100 g of pulp) and antioxidant activity (844.86 ± 2.03 mM/100g of pulp). Regarding the chemical profile of the pulp, 45 compounds were listed by PS/MS, with emphasis on flavonoids, phenolic compounds, carotenoids, sugars, catechins and quercetin derivatives. Nineteen volatile organic compounds can be identified, all of them belonging to the terpene class, 94.7% sesquiterpenes, and 5.3% monoterpenes, compounds that are responsible for several sensory characteristics of the fruits. The results showed that the association between the antioxidant activity promoted by the bioactive and the VOCs of the grumixama pulp make this fruit promising for acceptance in the market and can be added to various product elaborations, increasing its nutritional and functional value.

The pequi pericarp corresponds to the largest portion of the fruit and has a high nutritional value, but it is discarded as an agro-industrial residue. The present study aimed to prepare and characterize flours from the pequi pericarp in terms of their proximate composition, its antioxidant potential before and after the in vitro digestibility process and chemical profile, aiming at the full use of this fruit. The samples of pequi pericarp flours from the cities of Sete Lagoas, Paraopeba and Felixlândia were analyzed. The profile of chemical compounds present in the flours was determined using paper spray mass spectrometry. The in vitro simulated digestion technique was used to verify the stability of the phenolic compounds and the maintenance of the antioxidant capacity of the samples. The flours from the pequi pericarp showed to have higher levels of protein, ash and dietary fiber, compared to the data described in the literature for the pulp of the fruit. The analysis of paper spray mass spectrometry allowed the identification of 46 chemical compounds including amino acids, sugars, organic acids and phenolic compounds. The analysis of the main components showed that there was no chemical variation among the fruits from the cities studied. Through the in vitro digestibility technique, it was possible to observe an increase in the bioaccessibility of phenolic compounds, contributing to increase the already significant antioxidant capacity of the samples. It was concluded that the pequi pericarp flour has the potential to be used as a food ingredient due to the high bioaccessibility of its bioactive compounds, capable of reducing the risk of developing diseases caused by oxidative stress.