ABSTRACT
Cerrado is the largest biome in the state of Minas Gerais-Brazil, represented by a biodiversity of fruit species, especially cagaita (Eugenia dysenterica). Cagaita fruits are considered an important option for fruit growing, because they are source of phenolic compounds with antioxidant properties and mineral content that can contribute with beneficial health effects. In this study, phenolic compounds were characterized by high-performance liquid chromatography and the mineral content of ripe and unripe cagaita fruits was evaluated. Regarding minerals, ripe and unripe fruits stand out due to their high potassium content. Unripe fruits are rich in boron while ripe fruits are source of this mineral. ripe and unripe cagaita fruits have the following phenolic compounds: gallic, caffeic, vanillic, p-coumaric, siringeic, ferulic and salicylic acids, epicatechin, quercetin and rutin, the highest contents of these compounds are caffeic, p-coumaric, siringeic and ferrulic, epicatechin and rutin identified in unripe fruits, while ripe fruits have high contents of gallic, vanillic and quercetin acids. Thus, cagaita fruits have great potential for food, therapeutic and medicinal applications bringing health benefits.
Index terms
Cerrado fruits; Myrtaceae; HPLC-Uv
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