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Nutritional, chemical, and morphological assessment of Couroupita guianensis: a potential edible fruit for human consumption

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Abstract

Couroupita guianensis, a member of the Lecythidaceae family, is a plant widely known for its large, edible and unconventional fruits. The objective of the present study was to investigate the nutritional and chemical composition of the fruits of this species and to perform structural, ultrastructural, and histochemical tests to elucidate the sites of its pulp involved in the production of bioactive substances. The nutritional analysis revealed low fat and protein levels, but the pulp stood out as a significant source of dietary fiber, representing 6.72% of the content. Furthermore, the pulp showed 14.5 ∘Brix and approximately 18.97% total carbohydrates, with an energy value of 56 kcal.100 g−1. The fruit pulp exhibited an antioxidant potential of 183 ± 29 mg GAE.100 g−1 and 3517 ± 1055 µmol Fe2+.100 g−1, as determined by the Folin-Ciocalteu and FRAP methods, respectively. LC–MS analysis identified phenolic compounds, with emphasis on hydrolysable tannins. Furthermore, as determined by microscopy, the inner mesocarp was found to consist of vascularized parenchymal tissue accumulating lipid droplets. This region also contained sclereid clusters with secondary polylamellated walls and living protoplasts that accumulated phenolic compounds, probably ellagitannins, near the cell wall and the tonoplast. Additionally, ellagitannin-producing cells were identified, together with the dynamic transport of substances with bioactive potential. Considering these characteristics, along with the abundance of pulp per fruit and the ease of collection, the remarkable potential for consumption and commercialization of the fruit from the C. guianensis species stands out.

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Data availability

The datasets generated during and analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

Abbreviations

NCEP:

Non-conventional edible plant

GAE:

Gallic acid equivalent

TSS:

Total soluble solids

TFC:

Total flavonoid content

QE:

Quercetin equivalent

GAE:

Gallic acid equivalent

FRAP:

Ferric reducing antioxidant power

LC–QTOF–HRMS:

Liquid chromatography–hybrid quadrupole time-of-flight–high-resolution mass spectrometry

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Acknowledgements

The authors appreciate the technical support provided by Adélia Mara Belém Lima (CENABIO/UFRJ) and Jefferson Bomfim Silva Cypriano (UNIMICRO/UFRJ) during the electron microscopy work. Special thanks are also extended to Kamila Marques Sette for her technical assistance.

Funding

This work received support from FAPERJ (Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado do Rio de Janeiro) under grant numbers E-26/210.404/2022 (C.S.C), E-26/201.418/2022 (C.S.C), E-26/201.464/2022 (J.V.P.), and E-26/201.362/2022 (I.A.R). Additional funding was provided by CNPq (Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico) under grant number 421121/2016–5 (J.V.P.) and CAPES (Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Graduate Program in Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 21941-902, Brazil

    Dalton Guimarães Veloso & Igor Almeida Rodrigues

  2. Department of Natural Products and Food, School of Pharmacy, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 21941-902, Brazil

    Juliana Villela Paulino, Fabricio de Oliveira Silva, Mirian Ribeiro Leite Moura, Igor Almeida Rodrigues & Carla Silva Carneiro

  3. Medicinal Plants and Derivatives Laboratory, Farmanguinhos Fiocruz, Manguinhos, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 21041-250, Brazil

    Ana Claudia Fernandes Amaral

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  1. Dalton Guimarães Veloso
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Contributions

Conceptualization: D.G.V., J.V.P., I.A.R and C.S.C.; Methodology, Investigation, Formal analysis: D.G.V, F.O.S, M.R.L.M., A.C.F.A., J.V.P., I.A.R and C.S.C.; Writing—original draft preparation: D.G.V., J.V.P., F.O.S, I.A.R and C.S.C.; Project administration: J.V.P., I.A.R. and C.S.C.; Writing – review & editing: C.S.C.

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Correspondence to Juliana Villela Paulino or Carla Silva Carneiro.

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Veloso, D.G., Paulino, J.V., Silva, F.O. et al. Nutritional, chemical, and morphological assessment of Couroupita guianensis: a potential edible fruit for human consumption. Food Measure (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11694-024-02595-7

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