Nutritional bioactive compounds and technological aspects of minor fruits grown in Brazil

Brazil is one of the three major fruit producers in the world. Native and/or exotic Brazilian fruits have great nutritional and economic potential. Eggfruit, blackberry, Brazilian guava, atemoya, bacuri, sweetsop, starfruit, feijoa, cactus pear, fruit of wolf, breadfruit, jaboticaba, jackfruit, rose apple, lychee, mangaba and marolo are already present in the Brazilian diet, but they are not yet industrialized and are minor agricultural products. These fruits are produced and used in the manufacture of handicraft products such as jellies and sweets that are available in free markets, but production is small-scale and without safe operational procedures. These fruits are seasonal with large postharvest losses. Thus, it is necessary to initiate competitive agribusinesses in the producing regions for these fruits to enhance local economies. This review summarizes the major nutritional and bioactive compounds found in these fruits, the technological aspects of their cultivation, and future prospects for introducing consumption of these fruits and their respective products to Brazilian and/or foreign markets. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.