Jabuticabeiras

Abstract

The jabuticaba tree (Plinia sp.) belongs to the Myrtaceae family and is native from the Central, the South and the Southeast Brazil, with a secondary center of spreading in Paraguay and Argentina. Nine species are known, one is considered extinct, five are only found in some research sites, and only three have natural dispersion and in crops in Brazil. These last ones are: Plinia trunciflora (Berg) Mattos (jabuticaba of stalk); Plinia cauliflora (DC.) Berg (jabuticaba Paulista ponhema or assu) and Plinia jaboticaba (Vell.) Berg (jabuticaba sabará), being this one the most cultivated and known in Brazil, mainly in the states of Minas Gerais and São Paulo, which have some commercial orchards. The Jabuticaba trees occur predominantly in the Atlantic Forest biome. The fragmentation of this biome by human action has resulted in reduced genetic diversity of these species. Moreover, the lack of knowledge about their potential and consequent low commercial use, has contributed to its genetic erosion. Jabuticaba germplasm banks restrict to small collections of plants in certain research institutions. Therefore, in situ and ex situ conservation and the characterization of genetic resources of these species are fundamental subjects in strategies to reduce the damage already caused and increase the exploration of this fruit plant in commercial crops. The jabuticaba fruit has great marketing potential as it is greatly appreciated for both fresh consumption and for the manufacture of jelly, fermented beverages, vinegar and liqueurs. Moreover, the fruits can be used by the pharmaceutical and food industries due to its high content of antioxidants. The use of jabuticaba trees as an ornamental plant is also indicated by the exuberance of its architecture and beauty of flowering and fruiting. The jabuticabeira tree is being tested on crops in Florida (USA) and in countries of Central and South America. In Brazil, the commercialization of fruits has increased annually. In 2008 about 2,000 tones of jabuticabas fruits were sold in the warehouses of CEAGESP (General Warehouses of São Paulo) and in CEASAS (small warehouses in Curitiba and Belo Horizonte). In some regions, the commercialization is done mainly in the fresh form in the edges of highways, for needy families who collect the fruits of native plants (extractive system). Thus, this informal activity covers an economic and social importance as it provides additional income to these families during the harvest period. As defined by the Brazilian Forest Code, this fruit can reconstruct the legal reserve of ownership and be operated economically as an alternative income in family farming. Despite this recognized potential, the literature is quite limited in number of references to this plant. Likewise, commercial production is small and limited to certain regions and is still considered a fruit plant in home orchards. The commercial cultivation of jabuticaba tree can be amplified and conquer markets, if could be developed a basic and technological research in this culture. Studies...

Jabuticaba (Myrciaria cauliflora) Seeds: Chemical Characterization and Extraction of Antioxidant and Antimicrobial Compounds

“…Jabuticabeira is a fruit tree belonging to the Myrtaceae family, which occurs spontaneously in large part of Brazil. It originates from the south region of the country; however, it can be found from the state of Pará until the state of Rio Grande do Sul (Brunini and others ; Citadin and others ). Most jabuticaba species cultivated in Brazil are Sabará jabuticaba ( Myrciaria jabuticaba ), which is the most appreciated because the fruit is small and sweet, and Paulista jabuticaba ( Myrciaria cauliflora ), which has a thick skin and because it has a lower sweet taste (Costa and others ).…”

Environmental influence on phenols and essential oils of Myrciaria cauliflora leaves

“…9, 2010 and in other parts of South America. 5 Citadin et al 6 have reported that natural shade or full sunlight tree development have not shown differences as regards physico-chemical features of fruit quality. The jaboticaba bagasse flour, which is a good source of fiber, proteins and minerals is made up of fine particles which have the fruit's aroma and its taste is slight salty and bitter.…”

Evaluation of different drying models for jabuticaba peel, dried in spouted bed dryer through performance indicators and the impact on anthocyanins

“…The jabuticaba commercialization has been going through difficulties because this fruit is highly perishable presenting a short period of consumption due to its high content of water and sugars [6]. Thinking of improvements for the preservation of this fruit, the drying process has been used to remove the water of the product through the heat having the heat and mass transfer with water removal and consequent reduction of microbial growth and enzymatic reactions [7].…”