In this study, we aimed to describe the antioxidant content and physicochemical characteristics of the marmalade and fruits of Plinia peruviana “Yvapurũ”, harvested in Paraguay. The morphological characteristics, moisture, pH, vitamin C, total phenols, and anthocyanins were analyzed in mature wild and cultivated fruit samples. The values of anthocyanins (282–288 mg of cyanidin 3-O-glucoside/100 g) and total phenols in fruits and marmalades (214–224 and 719–817 mg GAE/100 g, respectively) make this fruit and its marmalade byproduct potential sources of phenolic compounds of interest to the dye, flavoring, and antioxidant industries.

The Plinia genus comprises an underestimated group of fruit trees native to the neotropics of South and Central America. One such species is Plinia peruviana (Poir.) Govaerts, commonly known as ‘Yvapurú’, which belongs to the Myrtaceae family. Its fruits have high nutraceutical potential and are used in the food and medicinal industries. However, scientific information on its composition and bioactive properties remains limited at the regional level. This study aimed to determine the nutritional composition and antioxidant potential of wild P. peruviana fruits collected in a native forest in Emboscada, Paraguay. Official AOAC methods were employed to analyse the centesimal composition, and the vitamin C content, Total Phenolics Compounds (TPC), and total monomeric anthocyanin (TMA) content were determined in freeze-dried pulp and peel. The main components of whole fruits were total carbohydrates and dietary fibre (12.2 ± 0.7 g/100 g and 9.9 ± 0.8 g/100 g, respectively). The main minerals present were potassium (252 ± 9 mg/100 g), sodium (49 ± 3 mg/100 g), magnesium (46 ± 5 mg/100 g), calcium (21.5 ± 1 mg/100 g) and phosphorus (4.1 ± 0.9 mg/100 g). In terms of antioxidant potential, the peel exhibited higher concentrations of total phenolic compounds (730 ± 5 mg EAG/100 g) and anthocyanins (191 ± 15 mg C3G/100 g) than the pulp (611 ± 13 mg EAG/100 g). These results confirm that P. peruviana fruits have a valuable nutritional profile, providing significant amounts of dietary fibre and essential minerals, as well as high levels of bioactive compounds associated with antioxidant capacity. Using them as a functional food could help prevent chronic diseases and strengthen food security. The study also expands knowledge of Paraguay’s fruit biodiversity and supports the sustainable utilisation of underutilised native species.

Native to South America, the Sicana sp. fruits, known in Paraguay as “kurugua”, belongs to the Cucurbit family and is almost extinct in the region. The aim of this study was to determine the physicochemical characteristics, composition and antioxidant activity of “kurugua” with reddish peel color. The determinations were made by official and regional standardized methodologies on fresh weight (FW). The pulp has an alkaline pH (7.41 ± 0.11), and its main components are carbohydrates (9.44 ± 0.45 g·100 g⁻¹), followed by dietary fiber (1.74 ± 0, 04 g·100 g⁻¹), as minor proteins (0.53 ± 0.05 g·100 g⁻¹) and lipids (0.08 ± 0.01 g·100 g⁻¹). On the evaluated antioxidants compounds, they were higher in peel than in pulp as; total phenols (279.2 ± 12.1, 55.7 ± 10.3 mg of GAE·100 g⁻¹), Vitamin C (9.67 ± 0.09, 7.84 ± 1.71 mg·100 g⁻¹) and beta-carotene (0.37 ± 0.03, 0.19 ± 0.01 mg·100 g⁻¹), respectively. Fresh seeds have a high moisture content (38.8%), dietary fiber (40.2%) and lipids (11.74%), they mineral composition showed a high content of Mg and Ca and a high content of micronutrients such as Cu, Mn, Fe and Zn, which can represent a great contribution to the daily requirements of the diet. The red kurugua fruits are a natural source of nutritious and bioactive compounds beneficial to health, with multiple potential applications in foodstuff, which should be promoted in healthy dietary guidelines for the benefit of the populations.