Myrciaria dubia “Camu Camu” Fruit: Health-Promoting Phytochemicals and Functional Genomic Characteristics

Abstract

Camu camu is a typical Amazon native fruit shrub that possesses a diploid genome, moderate genetic diversity, and population structure. The fruits accumulate several essential nutrients and synthesize L-ascorbic acid (vitamin C) in great quantities and an array of diverse secondary metabolites with corroborated in vitro and in vivo health-promoting activities. These beneficial effects include antioxidative and antiinflammatory activities, antiobesity, hypolipidemic, antihypertensive and antidiabetic effects, DNA damage and cancer protection effects, and other bioactivities. Many health-promoting phytochemicals are biosynthesized in several metabolic pathways of camu camu. Their reconstruction from the fruit transcriptome database was accomplished by our research group. These include basic metabolic pathways such as glycolysis and pentose phosphate pathway, vitamin C biosynthesis pathways, and pathways involved in secondary metabolites production. Due to their agronomic potential and fruits growing demand, recently, based on an ideotype, programs were initiated for their domestication and genetic improvement, but so far with very negligible achievements. Consequently, we propose new strategies to accelerate the processes of domestication and genetic improvement based on state of the art technologies for multiomic data analysis and innovative molecular tools.

Active compounds from the industrial residue of dry camu-camu

“…Camu-camu is a Brazilian fruit, consumed mainly in the north region of Brazil (Fujita et al, 2013), the different parts of which are rich sources of active compounds and have properties beneficial to health (Castro et al, 2018). Commercially, camucamu was introduced to the world market starting in America and centers such as Europe and Asia, arousing the interest of local farmers in Brazil (Neves et al, 2015).…”

Callus induction and pro-embryogenic mass formation in Myrciaria dubia, an important medicinal and nutritional plant

“…It is a native fruit tree that grows spontaneously on the banks of lakes and rivers of the Amazon and is considered to have the highest content of vitamin C of any edible fruit, with variations between 7.355.20 (Chagas et al 2015) to 13.756.79 (Ribeiro et al 2016) mg vitamin C per 100 g pulp -1 depending on the stage of maturation (Grigio et al 2021a). In addition to their high vitamin C concentration, the fruits show high levels of potassium, anthocyanins, flavonoids, carotenoids and phenolic compounds and are considered functional foods (Castro et al 2018, Grigio et al 2021b, Grigio et al 2021c. This fact has attracted the attention of the food, cosmetics and pharmaceutical industries.…”

Actividad antimicrobiana in vitro del camu camu (Myrciaria dubia) contra microorganismos orales: una revisión sistemática

“…La Myrciaria dubia (H.B.K) (McVaugh) «camu camu», es un arbusto frutal, nativo de la Amazonia y pertenece a la familia Myrciare. Acumula fitoquímicos que son asociados a importantes propiedades (10) . Por ejemplo, fracciones de extractos hidrometanólicos, hidroacetónicos y de extracto crudo de semilla (11) y cáscara de M. dubia, evidenciaron actividad antioxidante debido a sus C-elagitaninos glucosídicos (11,12) .…”