Grupo de Pesquisa em Metabolômica e Espectrometria de Massas, Universidade do Estado do Amazonas (UEA), Manaus 69065-001, Brazil.
Fundação de Medicina Tropical Dr. Heitor Vieira Dourado (FMT-HVD), Manaus 69040-000, Brazil.
Food Res Int. 2024 Sep;192:114729. doi: 10.1016/j.foodres.2024.114729. Epub 2024 Jul 3.
The Amazon region is known for its continental dimension, water abundance, and especially for the rich biodiversity that this biome hosts. Among the thousands of plant species in the Amazon, many represent food sources. Among these, cupuaçu (Theobroma grandiflorum (Willd. ex Spreng.) K.Schum.) stands out as an iconic fruit with an exotic flavor, appreciated for its remarkable organoleptic properties. The present review aims to provide a comprehensive description of its biology, agronomical uses, nutritional values, chemical compositions, medicinal properties, and industrial applications. The search based on scientific articles demonstrates T. grandiflorum as a valuable ingredient for the food, cosmetic and pharmaceutical sectors. Data analysis demonstrates that cupuaçu cultivation and processing contribute to the strengthening of local production chains and promotes the development of small communities, and thus the bioeconomy in the Amazon region. In this sense, since the last decade, cultivar improvement has required multidisciplinary efforts, resulting in disease-resistant plants with better productivity. Regarding its chemical composition, T. grandiflorum is a notable source of methylxanthine alkaloids, polyphenols, aroma compounds, and lipids. The presence of these compounds supports the use of cupuaçu in various products and help us to understand the potential health benefits of its consumption. Through the integration of all collected information, key gaps in basic and applied sciences were observed, highlighting the need for more research to uncover novel applications and products of T. grandiflorum. The development of new products based on biodiversity is fundamental to promoting environmental and economic sustainability, which are key steps to the survival of the Amazon rainforest. Therefore, this work summarizes the knowledge on this source and sheds light on a food source that is little known outside of the Amazon borders.
亚马逊地区以其大陆规模、丰富的水资源和丰富的生物多样性而闻名，而生物多样性又为该生物群落提供了丰富的生物多样性。在亚马逊地区的数千种植物物种中，有许多是食物来源。在这些植物中，可可（Theobroma grandiflorum (Willd. ex Spreng.) K.Schum.）是一种具有异域风味的标志性水果，以其显著的感官特性而受到赞赏。本综述旨在全面描述其生物学、农艺用途、营养价值、化学成分、药用特性和工业应用。基于科学文章的搜索表明，可可（Theobroma grandiflorum）是食品、化妆品和制药行业的有价值的成分。数据分析表明，可可种植和加工有助于加强当地生产链，并促进小型社区的发展，从而促进亚马逊地区的生物经济发展。在这方面，自上一个十年以来，品种改良需要多学科的努力，从而培育出具有更高生产力和抗病能力的可可植物。就其化学成分而言，可可（Theobroma grandiflorum）是甲基黄嘌呤生物碱、多酚、香气化合物和脂质的重要来源。这些化合物的存在支持了可可（Theobroma grandiflorum）在各种产品中的应用，并帮助我们理解其消费的潜在健康益处。通过整合所有收集到的信息，观察到基础和应用科学领域的关键差距，突出了需要更多的研究来揭示可可（Theobroma grandiflorum）的新应用和产品。基于生物多样性开发新产品对于促进环境和经济可持续性至关重要，这是亚马逊雨林生存的关键步骤。因此，这项工作总结了关于这种来源的知识，并为人们提供了一种在亚马逊地区以外鲜为人知的食物来源。
