The objective of this research was to evaluate the nutritional composition and bioactive compounds of whole umbu fruit, including pulp, seed and peel, and also of a commercial umbu pulp. Samples of the fractions and of commercial pulp were analyzed for determination of minerals and proximate composition, total phenolic and antioxidant activity. Pulps and peel were also analyzed for vitamin C and carotenoids contents. Commercial pulp presented better nutritional composition than fresh pulp (P<0.05) and the peel presented higher phenolic content and antioxidant activity than seed. Peel also stood out by its vitamin C (79 mg.100 g^-1) and total carotenoids (2,751 µg.100 g^-1) contents, showing that, as the main barrier of the fruit for its protection, it is a fraction rich in bioactive compounds. The highest dietary fiber and iron contents were observed in umbu seed (P<0.05). Therefore, umbu by-products may be ingredients proper for development of food richer in nutrients and bioactive compounds.

Herein, the extraction of bioactive compounds from umbu fruit peel was optimized using thermal-assisted solid–liquid extraction. In parallel, antioxidant, antimicrobial, and inhibitory effects against α-amylase of optimized extract were also evaluated. The combination of operational conditions including the temperature (32–74 °C), ethanol concentration (13–97%), and solid/liquid ratio (1:10–1:60; w/v) was employed using a rotational central composite design for optimization. The extracts were evaluated for total phenolic compounds (TPC), total flavonoid compounds (TFC) and antioxidant capacity by ABTS^•+, DPPH^• and FRAP assays. The bioactive profile of the optimized extract was obtained by ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled to quadrupole/time-of-flight mass spectrometry in electrospray ionization in both negative and positive modes. The statistically evaluated results showed that the optimal operational conditions for the recovery of bioactive compounds from umbu fruit peel included 74 °C, 37% ethanol, and a solid–liquid ratio of 1:38. Under these conditions, the obtained values were 1985 mg GAE/100 g, 1364 mg RE/100 g, 122 µmol TE/g, 174 µmol/TE g and 468 µmol Fe²⁺/g for TPC, TFC, ABTS^•+, DPPH^•, and FRAP assays, respectively. In addition, the optimized extract was effective against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria (MBC ranged from 0.060 to 0.24 mg GAE/mL), as well as it was effective to inhibit α-amylase (IC₅₀ value of 0.076 mg GAE/mL). The optimized extract showed to be mainly constituted by phenolic acids and flavonoids.

The genus Spondias has two species of native trees from Brazil that deserve to be highlighted: Spondias tuberosa (“umbu”) and Spondias mombin (“cajá”). Their fruit contain bioactive compounds which have been associated with several biological activities. However, they remain little exploited in the development of food and pharmaceutical products. In this perspective, the present review summarizes the literature data about the physicochemical and nutritional characteristics, bioactive compounds, potential health benefits, and industrial applications of these fruit, including their pulp, seed, and peel. The current scenery mapping for scientific articles was performed in the Scopus and Web of Science databases. The study also considered patent applications collected in the Derwent database. Results showed an increase in scientific publications in recent years for both species. Many applications are related to food technology; nevertheless, due to the composition of their non-edible fractions, they have the potential for use in biorefinery, being their use an opportunity for bioeconomy. Thus, this review provides a comprehensive overview of these Brazilian native fruit to offer a theoretical foundation and valuable data for future investigations and exploitation.