Phytochemical Diversity and Therapeutic Potential of Campomanesia adamantium

Abstract

There is a growing interest in health-promoting foods with functional properties, and alternative sources are gaining attention for their industrial potential due to sensory qualities and consumer acceptance. In that sense, the guavira Campomanesia adamantium is a fruit plant that has been gaining popularity in South America, especially in large cities, due to its flavor and its nutritional composition rich in minerals and bioactive compounds. The species is also used in traditional medicine due to its pharmacological properties, associated with various parts of the plant. Pharmacological data concerning its importance have been widely observed in in vitro and in vivo studies, with tumor antiproliferative, antioxidant, antihyperlipidemic, anti-inflammatory, antinociceptive, antidiarrheal, antirheumatic, antimicrobial, and photoprotective activity, and the absence of cytotoxic or toxic effect. These nutraceutical characteristics are associated with the composition of several phytochemicals, among which limonene, α-pinene, β-pinene, monoterpenes, sesquiterpenes, flavonoids, and vitamin C stand out, in addition to the presence of fibers that help improve gastrointestinal transit and absorption of water and lipids. Our study suggests that this plant really has pharmacological properties of interest; however, more extensive research is needed to establish a potential strategy, especially on the productive agronomic aspect and development of genetically improved cultivars with higher levels of substances of interest.