Review Article

Phytochemicals and Medicinal Properties of Indigenous Tropical Fruits with Potential for Commercial Development

Table 6

Bioactive ingredients and medicinal properties of selected indigenous tropical fruits.

FruitBioactivesMedicinal propertiesExperimental models

Averrhoa bilimbiFlavonoids, saponins, and triterpenoidsAntihypercholesterolemic [96]Triton-induced hypercholesterolemic rats
Antibacterial [98, 114]Disc diffusion method: Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria
Antidiabetes [97]Streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats

Baccaurea macrocarpaNo report from the literature

Baccaurea motleyanaPhenolic compoundsAntimicrobial (peel) [102]Disc diffusion method: Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, fungus, and yeast

Bouea macrophyllaNo report from the literature

Canarium odontophyllumFlavonoids and anthocyaninsAntiatherosclerosis [99]Cholesterol-induced hypercholesterolemic rabbits

Cynometra caulifloraPhenolic compoundsAntileukemic [103]Human promyelocytic leukemia HL-60 and normal mouse fibroblast NIH/3T3 cell cultures

Durio kutejensisNot reportedAntimelanogenesis effect [115]Tyrosinase assay and melanin inhibition in B16 melanoma cell cultures

Garcinia hombroniana Phenolic compoundsInhibition of platelet aggregation and LDL-peroxidation [26]Human whole blood from healthy subjects: in vitro LDL oxidation and antiplatelet aggregation assay.

Garcinia parvifoliaPhenolic compoundsAntimicrobial [116]Well diffusion method: pathogenic and nonpathogenic bacteria

Mangifera foetidaNo report from the literature

Mangifera pajang Phenolic compounds and carotenoidsAntihypercholesterolemic and antiatherosclerotic [36]Cholesterol-induced hypercholesterolemic rabbit model
Anticancer (kernel) [117]MTT assay: HepG2, HT-29 and Caov3 cultures
Hepatoprotective effect [107]HepG2 cell culture and western blot method

Phyllanthus emblicaPhenolic compounds Gastric ulcer healing effect [118]Indomethacin-induced ulceration of rats
Anticlastogenicity [119]Cochran-Armitage trend test: bone marrow cells of Swiss albino mice treated with lead and aluminum
Antiproliferative [120]MTT assay: MCF-7 tumor cell culture
Antimicrobial [41]TLC-bioautographic method: drug-resistant bacteria and yeast
Anticancer [121]In vitro cytotoxicity assays: human lung carcinoma (A549) and HepG2 cell lines
Antiaging effect [122]In vitro MMP-1, MMP-2, and elastase inhibition assays: inhibitions of collagenase and elastase
Chondroprotection [123]In vitro enzymatic assays: explant cultures of cartilage from osteoarthritis patients

Syzygium jambosPhenols, tannins, alkaloids, and flavonoidsAntifungal (seed) [124]Disc diffusion method: microbroth dilution technique (Microsporum gypseum, Microsporum canis, and Candida albicans)

Syzygium malaccensePhenolic compounds and terpenesAntimicrobial [125]Disc diffusion method: test bacteria on Mueller Hinton Agar, and yeast on Potato Dextrose Agar

Ziziphus mauritianaPhenolic compounds and saponinAntihyperglycemic, antidiarrhoeal, and hepatoprotective [126]Glucose overloaded hyperglycemic rats, castor oil-induced diarrhea in mice, and tetrachloromethane-induced liver damage in rats, respectively
Anticancer [46]Neutral red assay: cytotoxicity of various cultivars of jujube against different cancer cell lines
Apoptosis detection by flow cytometry

The medicinal properties are reported based on in vitro and in vivo animal studies, as well as human intervention trials.