Division of Nutritional Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States.
Fitoterapia. 2012 Mar;83(2):266-71. doi: 10.1016/j.fitote.2011.11.018. Epub 2011 Dec 4.
Most natural product research is market-driven and thus many plant species are overlooked for their health value due to lack of financial incentives. This may explain the limited information available about the health effects of the edible fruit species Melicoccus bijugatus, a member of the Sapindaceae family that grows mostly in the Caribbean and in parts of South America. However, recent phytochemical studies of these fruits have shed some light on their biological effects. In this review the health effects of M. bijugatus fruit pulp and seeds are assessed in relation to phytochemical and ethnobotanical studies, as well as chemotaxonomic information and medicinal uses of other Sapindaceae species. The chemistry of M. bijugatus fruits was found to be different than the other Sapindaceae fruits, although some of the medicinal uses were similar. Specific phenolics or sugars in M. bijugatus fruits may contribute to their therapeutic uses, especially for gastrointestinal problems, and to some extent toxicological effects. This review focuses our understanding about the specific biological effects of M. bijugatus fruits, which may be useful for predicting other medicinal uses, potential drug or food interactions and may benefit people where the fruits are prevalent and healthcare resources are scarce.
大多数天然产物研究都是受市场驱动的,因此由于缺乏经济激励,许多植物物种因其健康价值而被忽视。这可能解释了有关食用水果物种番荔枝科(Melicoccus bijugatus)健康影响的信息有限,该物种主要生长在加勒比海和南美洲部分地区。然而,最近对这些水果的植物化学研究揭示了它们的一些生物效应。在这篇综述中,根据植物化学和民族植物学研究、化学分类学信息以及其他番荔枝科物种的药用用途,评估了番荔枝科(Melicoccus bijugatus)果实果肉和种子的健康影响。番荔枝科(Melicoccus bijugatus)果实的化学性质与其他番荔枝科(Sapindaceae)果实不同,尽管它们的一些药用用途相似。番荔枝科(Melicoccus bijugatus)果实中的特定酚类或糖可能有助于其治疗用途,特别是用于胃肠道问题,在一定程度上也有助于治疗毒性作用。本综述重点介绍了番荔枝科(Melicoccus bijugatus)果实的具体生物学效应,这可能有助于预测其他药用用途、潜在的药物或食物相互作用,并可能使这些果实普遍存在且医疗资源稀缺的地区的人们受益。