Bioactive potential in fruits from five species of amazonian palm trees

Fruits have bioactive compounds, which can delay or inhibit the propagation of chain reactions generated by free radicals. The search for relevant sources of these bioactive compounds has drawn attention to the vast biodiversity of the Amazon biome represented by native and exotic fruits, with peculiar flavor and characteristics, which have in their composition phenolic compounds, flavonoids, carotenoids and other bio actives that act from the prevention to the treatment of clinical diseases. However, many fruits from palm trees have not yet been fully explored, even though they have potential to be used by the food, cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries. This review provides information on phenotypic characteristics, nutritional importance of five fruits: babassu, tucumã, peach palm, patauá and bacaba, as well as the notoriety of polyphenols and their actions in the human body. It was concluded that all the fruits of this study have high nutritional and functional value and are promising sources of compounds that contribute to reducing the risk of cancer and cardiovascular diseases, with some functions proven with in vitro and ex vivo tests. There is a need for greater chemical prospecting involving these species for quantification and complete qualification of the polyphenols given in these matrices.