The Berry Fruit Açai (Euterpe oleracea Mart): Bringing Health Benefits and Exotism to the Modern Table

Abstract

The palm Amazonian fruit açai (Magnoliophyta: Arecaceae, Euterpe oleraceae Martius)
has been applied in folk medicine.1 Nowadays, this exotic berry fruit is commonly used to
make beverages (i.e. juices) and food preparations (e.g. ice creams).2,3
Açai is widely distributed in northern South America where it is traditionally
consumed.1-3 In the recent years, açai has gained popularity abroad as a food and functional ingredient.
It has then considerable both nutritional and economic importance (e.g.exportation).
This is mainly due to both its content in bioactive molecules beneficiating health.
Indeed, considerable research has been made on the fruit´s pulp of açai. Some highlights include:
(i) the relatively high presence of certain polyphenols (e.g. flavonoids especially proanthocyanins
and, in a lesser extent, anthocyanins such as cyandin 3-glucoside and cyanidin
3-rutinoside) as well as in carotenoids, ascorbic acid (aka vitamin C)4-8; (ii) the subsequent
relatively strong anti-oxidant activity (e.g. scavenging of free Radical Oxygen Species (ROS)
such as superoxide (O2
−) and peroxyl (ROO−) radicals,4,6-7,9 which is discussed to contribute
to the prevention of several inflammatory-state diseases (e.g. non-communicable pathologies
such as diabetes, arthritis, cancers). In fact, it is commonly accepted that açai fruit represents an
interesting functional food for disease prevention and therapy, and one of the berry fruits (along
with blueberry and cranberry) that display the most anti-oxidant potency