Unripe Fruits Found as Sources of Bioactive Compounds: A New Frontier in Drug Discovery

Abstract

In the era where synthetic compounds are being overshadowed by natural remedies as pharmaceuticals, plants are the greatest focus of interest for drug development. Fruits are mostly edible plant parts that are rich in diverse chemical components. The phytoconstituent composition changes with ripening. Unripe fruits have greater secondary metabolite profile for their self-defense, which might be a potential source of further drug development. This article focuses on unripe fruits as a source of bioactive compound, a new frontier for drug development. Multiple established literature sources relevant to the topic from MDPI, Elsevier, Springer, Taylor Francis, and PubMed were referred to, published till date from 1990 in English with keywords like “unripe fruits,” “phytochemistry,” and “pharmacology” for collecting information. It was found that because of high content of ascorbic acid and other polyphenols in amla or Phyllanthus emblica and Bengal lemon or Citrus limon, it had a potent anti-oxidant effect. Coconut antimicrobial peptides (CnAMPs) make tender coconut a water anti-microbial agent. Jackfruit and peas have potential anti-inflammatory and wound-healing properties because of rich flavonoid and Atrocarpin content. Bioactive compounds from green peas have potential antibacterial activity. Bioactive compounds from unripe fruits show their ethnopharmacological effect. Limonoids from Bengal lemon could be investigated further to develop a drug scaffold from it. This review deals with different bioactive phytoconstituents of different unripe fruits for a pharmacological effect. Hence, it opens a wide prospect for the development of a new drug.