Amantagula Fruit (Carissa macrocarpa (Eckl.) A.DC.): Nutritional and Phytochemical Characterization

Area of Science:

• Food Science
• Nutritional Biochemistry
• Pharmacognosy

Background:

• Fruits are recognized as valuable sources of natural bioactive compounds.
• Carissa macrocarpa fruits are traditionally consumed in Africa for food and health benefits.
• Limited scientific data exists on the chemical composition and bioactivity of Carissa macrocarpa fruits.

Purpose of the Study:

• To conduct a comprehensive chemical and bioactive characterization of Carissa macrocarpa fruits from Tunisia.
• To evaluate the nutritional value and identify key bioactive compounds within the fruit.
• To assess the antioxidant, cytotoxic, anti-inflammatory, and antibacterial potential of the fruit's hydroethanolic extract.

Main Methods:

• Nutritional analysis of fruit powder for sugars and fatty acids.
• Chromatographic profiling for organic acids and tocopherols (vitamin E isoforms).
• In vitro assays to determine antioxidant, cytotoxic, anti-inflammatory, and antibacterial activities of the hydroethanolic extract.

Main Results:

• Fruit powder is rich in sugars and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA).
• Quinic acid and alpha-tocopherol were identified as the most abundant organic acid and tocopherol isoform, respectively.
• The hydroethanolic extract demonstrated significant antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and broad-spectrum antibacterial activity.
• The extract inhibited the growth of tested tumor cell lines (except HepG2) without toxicity to non-tumor cells (PLP2).

Conclusions:

• Carissa macrocarpa fruits possess high nutritional value, including sugars and PUFA.
• The fruit is a source of valuable bioactive compounds like quinic acid and alpha-tocopherol.
• The hydroethanolic extract exhibits potent bioactivities, suggesting therapeutic potential.
• These findings support the inclusion of Carissa macrocarpa in the diet for its nutritional and health-promoting properties.