Hey everyone! The Cerrado savanna is not called the most biodiverse savanna in the world for no reason. It has many wild fruits being researched and yet to have their potentials unveiled to the world, just like baru seeds. Check these Cerrado fruits out:

Cagaita (Eugenia dysenterica)

With a citric flavour, cagaita fruits are rich in antioxidants, Vitamin A, Vitamin C and potassium. They possess the highest proportion of Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids known in a fruit.

One of its scientific names comes from the fruits being highly fermentable – they can have laxative effects if picked and exposed under the sun for a couple of hours.

 

Pêra-do-campo/Cerrado pear (Eugenia klotzschiana)

The Cerrado pear is a wild fruit with an incredibly high concentration of fibre, iron, copper, manganese and good amounts of many other minerals, such as zinc and magnesium.

The extract from its leaves and flowers has strong antibacterial and antioxidative properties, but academic research is still in its infancy.

 

 

Pequi (Caryocar brasiliense)

This oily fruit has high concentrations of antioxidants and vitamin A and is a very traditional cooking ingredient amongst locals.

Its oil extract has shown many potential uses: as a cocoa butter substitute and zero trans fat product, and as a potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory supplement for endurance athletes and cancer patients.

 

Cereja-do-cerrado/Cerrado cherry (Eugenia calycina)

Academia has barely studied the cerrado cherry. It is traditionally eaten all over the Cerrado by the locals, being high in Vitamin A.

Recent research shows that bark and leaf extracts have strong antibacterial properties and have a high pharmaceutical potential.

 

 

Mama-cadela (Brosimum gaudichaudii)

This berry is particularly promising! A lot of research has proven its potential on the treatment of vitiligo and its extract also has tremendous activity against antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

Research on mama-cadela is still in its infancy, as science has recently reached a new low in its priority regarding funding in Brazil.

 

Like baru seeds, these fruits and many others support local foraging communities in the Cerrado. Current deforestation trends need to stop, or all these fruits could become extinct soon.

RESOURCES

An Overview on Cagaita (Eugenia dysenterica DC) Macro and Micro Components and a Technological Approach

Chemical overview and antioxidative evaluation of pulp and essential oil of the cerrado pear (Eugenia klotzschiana Berg.)

Pequi: A Brazilian fruit with potential uses for the fat industry

Pequi fruit (Caryocar brasiliense Camb.) pulp oil reduces exercise-induced inflammatory markers and blood pressure of male and female runners

Chemical composition and bioactive compounds in the pulp and almond of pequi fruit

Pequi Fruit (Caryocar Brasiliense Camb) Pulp Oil Diminish The DNA Damage Induced By Chemical Carcinogenesis In Experimental Model Of Lung Cancer

Eugenia calycina Cambess extracts and their fractions: Their antimicrobial activity and the identification of major polar compounds using electrospray ionization FT-ICR mass spectrometry

Systematic study on the melanogenic action of Brosimum gaudichaudii Trécul extract  

Evaluation of antibacterial activity of the bark and leaf extracts of Brosimum gaudichaudii Trécul against multidrug resistant strains