Metabolomic Profile of Açai (Euterpe oleracea Mart., Euterpe precatoria Mart.), Mirití (Mauritia flexuosa L.), and Cupuassu (Theobroma grandiflorum (Wild. ex Spreng.) Schum) from Colombian Amazon: Insights into Nutritional Composition and Ripening Dy
Amazonian fruits are increasingly recognized for their functional properties due to their rich composition of bioactive metabolites. While species such as <i>Euterpe oleracea</i> Mart., <i>Euterpe precatoria</i> Mart., <i>Mauritia flexuosa</i> L., and <i>Theobroma grandiflorum</i> (Wild. ex Spreng.) have been extensively studied in countries like Brazil, research on these fruits in Colombia remains limited. This study aimed to characterize the secondary metabolites in freeze-dried pulp and seed samples of açaí, mirití, and cupuassu at different ripening stages, collected in Mitú (Vaupés, Colombia). Eleven samples of different fruits were collected and analyzed by untargeted metabolomics. Untargeted metabolomic profile was performed using LC-QTOF-MS and GC-QTOF-MS techniques. The pulp of <i>M. flexuosa</i> showed high concentrations of galacturonic acid. In <i>T. grandiflorum</i>, both pulp and seeds contained significant levels of galactose and citric acid. Notably, flavonoids such as fisetin and kaempferol-O-rutinoside were abundant in the pulp of <i>E. oleracea</i> and <i>E. precatoria</i>. Additionally, quinic acid and mannitol were detected in the unripe stages of <i>Euterpe</i> and <i>Mauritia</i> species. The diverse profile of secondary metabolites identified in these Colombian Amazonian fruits underscores their functional and nutritional potential. These findings support further exploration of native species for food, nutraceutical, and industrial applications, contributing to the valorization of Amazonian biodiversity.
Authors
- Alejandro Flores León (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5962-4158)
- Lina Sabrina Porras (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3354-8622)
- Iván Alejandro Giraldo (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6637-7906)
- Fredy Eduardo Lavao
- Esmeralda Rojas
- Kaoma Martínez
- Manuel Salvador Rodríguez
Institutions
- Universidad de Los Andes (CO)
- Consejería de Agricultura, Pesca, Agua y Desarrollo Rural (ES)
- Departamento Nacional de Planeación (CO)
Publication Details
- Journal
- International Journal of Molecular Sciences
- Published
- 2025-12-30
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms27010410
- Primary Topic
- Phytochemistry Medicinal Plant Applications
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00