Amazonian fruits as reservoirs of antimicrobial bioactive compounds: mechanisms of action and biotechnological perspectives

Abstract

Amazonian ecosystems are globally recognized for their extraordinary biodiversity, encompassing thousands of plant, animal, and microbial species. Among the vast array of botanical resources, Amazonian fruits are distinguished by their rich composition of bioactive compounds, which contribute to a wide range of health benefits and industrial applications. This review highlights the broad-spectrum antimicrobial potential of Amazonian fruits, describing the key bioactive compounds and their mechanisms of action against bacterial and fungal pathogens, with potential applications in food preservation, medicine, and biotechnology. Notably, fruits such as açaí (Euterpe oleracea Mart.), buriti (Mauritia flexuosa L.f.), cupuaçu (Theobroma grandiflorum (Willd. ex Spreng.) K.Schum.), guaraná (Paullinia cupana Kunth), taperebá (Spondias mombin L.), tucumã (Astrocaryum aculeatum G.Mey.), camu-camu (Myrciaria dubia (Kunth) McVaugh), and araçá (Eugenia stipitata McVaugh) have demonstrated antimicrobial properties against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria as well as fungal species. Future investigations of the biofunctionality of Amazonian fruits highlight the existence of a vast and still underexplored biodiversity with strong potential for scientific discovery and biotechnological innovation. Advances in the characterization of bioactive compounds, together with biotechnological approaches such as metabolic engineering, synthetic biology, and microbial fermentation, may enable the development of novel ingredients, functional products, and industrial applications derived from Amazonian resources. In this context, the Amazon region represents a promising reservoir of bioactive compounds that can be systematically studied and translated into future biotechnological products.