Peach Palm (Bactris gasipaes Kunth.): Ancestral Tropical Staple with Future Potential - PubMed (original) (raw)

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Peach Palm (Bactris gasipaes Kunth.): Ancestral Tropical Staple with Future Potential

Nancy González-Jaramillo et al. Plants (Basel). 2022.

Abstract

A pre-Columbian staple, Bactris gasipaes Kunth. is a palm tree domesticated around 4000 years ago, so appreciated that a Spanish chronicler wrote in 1545, "only their wives and children were held in higher regard" by the Mesoamerican natives. The peach palm is an integral part of the foodways and gastronomy of Ecuador, Colombia, Bolivia, Peru, Brazil, and other tropical American countries; meanwhile, it is almost unknown in the rest of the world, except for hearts of palm. Although abundant, the species faces anthropogenic threats. The purpose of this study is to describe and summarize the physicochemical, nutritional, and bioactive characteristics of the peach palm and its two main alimentary products: hearts of palm and fruits, highlighting the functional and antioxidant potential of the latter, showing both ancestral and modern uses. There is active research on peach palm products and coproducts that aim for better, more sustainable uses of its traditional and recently found properties. The review and presentation of studies on this strategically relevant species can motivate the protection of endangered populations and stimulate new lines of research to advance development in the food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic industries, with fair trade, sustainable development goals, and adaptation to climate change in mind.

Keywords: Amazon; Bactris gasipaes; food sovereignty; palm; phytochemicals.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1

Figure 1

Distribution of Bactris gasipaes Kunth., in tropical Central and South America. Grey: native; light blue: introduced (Trinidad and Tobago, El Salvador). Source: [19]. Shaded areas, main complexes: red: Occidental; green: Maracaibo; brown: Upper Amazonia; yellow: Eastern Amazonia. Source: [20].

Figure 2

Figure 2

Morphology of Bactris gasipaes: (A). Trunks showing internodes covered with thorns. Source: David Stang (CC BY-SA 4.0); (B). Difference between macrocarpa and microcarpa fruits; (C). B. gasipaes fruit, microcarpa variety, Cali Colombia. Source: Michael Hermann (CC BY-SA 3.0).

Figure 3

Figure 3

Phytochemical composition of Bactris gasipaes fruit. Major compounds.

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This research was supported by Universidad Tecnica Particular de Loja (UTPL).

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