Potential of bioactive compounds derived from underutilized fruit-bearing plants: a comprehensive review

In nature, varieties of underutilized fruit-bearing plants are available and have remained underexploited for various reasons. However, the different parts of the plant, mainly the fruit, contributed considerably towards the sustainability of food as abundant sources of imperative phytochemical compounds and possess the potential for revenue generation and the conservation of ecological stability. Ethnobotanical information regarding underutilized plants was acquired from a literature exploration of diverse databases for instance Scopus, Google Scholar, and PubMed up to 2020 from research publications. This review article offers an inclusive summary of about 14 underutilized plants, which are supported through experimental evidence, either in vitro or else in vivo. Bioactive compounds such as the secondary plant metabolites phytochemicals and nutrients available in these underutilized plant parts, such as fruits, leaves, and bark, explain their potential applications in different kinds of industries including mainly those of food and pharmaceutical products. In this sense, the phytonutrient significance, biological activities, or possible mechanistic health-related aspects of these compounds are addressed in this review. Based on the accessible indication on the species' safety and pharmacology, we highlighted diverse ways wherein the therapeutic potential effects against different diseases of underutilized plant parts could be appropriately harnessed for probable incorporation into the country’s healthcare structure. This study concluded that cited underutilized plants are an immense source of phytochemicals providing diverse antioxidant and other biological activities, viz: anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antioxidant, antidiabetic, chemopreventive, and antiallergic, and hence, they can be exploited as alternative sources of therapeutic bioactive compounds for various pharmaceutical applications.