Southern African indigenous fruits and their byproducts: Prospects as food antioxidants

Abstract

The discourse regarding plant-based preservatives for food application has generally revolved around extracts from commercial fruits, vegetables, herbs and spices with indigenous fruits (IFs) on the periphery, with little investment into their valorisation. While being important food sources at community level, IFs and their byproducts are also incorporated into medicinal remedies, combating various diseases. Their ethnomedicinal usage indicates potent bioactive profile that alleviate effects of oxidative stress, which accompany disease in vivo. This is supported by in vitro antioxidant activity of the IFs and their byproducts. As such, the current review explores the potential of bioprospecting extracts from nine IFs and their byproducts as food antioxidants. Evidence presented shows that IFs have high content of bioactive compounds further translating to high antioxidant activity. Research gaps in information concerning in vitro bioactivity warrant further research to provide impetus for valorisation and food application of IFs.

Keywords

• Antioxidants
• Bioprospecting
• Indigenous fruit
• Bioeconomy