Functional and nutritional properties of rambutan (Nephelium lappaceum L.) seed and its industrial application: A review

Abstract

Background: Rambutan (Nephelium lappaceum L.) is an important commercial fruit in southeast Asia and is gaining more attention in recent years because it is juicy and sweet and has a refreshing flavour and an exotic appearance. It is commercialized for fresh consumption and is industrially processed as canned fruit, juices, jams, jellies, marmalades, and spreads. The seed is a major co-product of this industry and is worthy of attention for industrial applications and their feasibility. Scope and approach: This review describes the composition of the rambutan seed, which is examined from a critical interpretation regarding the suitable use of this co-product. This review also compares the total yield, physicochemical and thermal properties of its fat for the purpose of evaluating the potential of this fruit co-product as a source of natural edible fat with potential industrial uses. Key findings and conclusions: Rambutan seed is a major co-product of the industry that has high premium-grade fat, protein, carbohydrate, fibre, antioxidants, and phenolic content and that can be used in several segments of the food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic industries. Rambutan seed powders are also used as local medicine (they contain antidiabetic compounds) in Malaysia. To determine the effectiveness of raw rambutan seeds in treating diseases, in vivo and human clinical studies should be performed.Research should also continue to determine if rambutan seed fat can be fractionated, chemical and enzymatic interesterified, and blended with other fats to make cocoa butter alternatives. Comprehensive studies are needed on rambutan seed to explore more potential industrial applications. ©

Improving the marmalade technology by adding a multicomponent fruit-and-berry paste

“…Citrus fruits have a high nutritional value but the differences in their biochemical and morphological characteristics limit their use in the technology of products with a jelly structure given the lack of additional research [9]. The authors of [10] proposed the use of rambutan fruits in the production of marmalades, jams, jellies, canned fruits, juices. Recently, the food industry has paid attention to the fruits of prickly pear [11], which are a source of phytochemicals such as polyphenols, vitamins, polysaccharides.…”

Nutritional, pharmaceutical, and functional aspects of rambutan in industrial perspective: An updated review

“…It is linked to the family of subtropical fruits, Sapindaceae, pulasan ( Nephelium mutabile Blume) lychee ( Litchi chinensis Sonn), and longan ( Euphoria longan Steud). Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand are the biggest cultivators of rambutan fruit and they export it to other countries (Jahurul et al, 2020).…”

A review: extraction, phytochemicals, and biological activities of rambutan (Nephelium lappaceum L) peel extract

“…The color of rambutan ranges from green, red and yellow to orange yellow, and the normal size is approximately 3–4 cm in diameter and 3–6 cm in length ( Muhamed et al., 2019 ). The rambutan fruit is composed of peel, pulp, seed, and embryo, which account for 45.7%, 44.8%, 9.5%, and 6.1% of the total dry weight, respectively ( Jahurul et al., 2020 ). Rambutan is often used for fresh consumption and industrially processed into jams, juices, canned fruit, jellies, marmalades, and spreads.…”

“…Furthermore, many factors can affect the phenolics and their bioactivities of rambutan peels from different sources, including cultivars, climate, harvest, soil, and extractive process. Numerous studies exhibited that rambutan peels from different localities have different phenolic contents and compositions, leading to different bioactivities ( Hernández-Hernández et al., 2019 ; Jahurul et al., 2020 ). In this review, the drying and extract methods of rambutan peels will be described.…”