Biology, phytochemical profile and prospects for snake fruit: an antioxidant-rich fruit of South East Asia

Publication date: Available online 2 July 2019Source: Trends in Food Science & TechnologyAuthor(s): Purabi Mazumdar, Howgen Pratama, Su-Ee Lau, Chee How Teo, Jennifer Ann HarikrishnaAbstractBackgroundSnake fruit (Salacca zalacca) is a unique tropical palm that bears fruit, botanically known as drupes, with a leathery and scaly skin that resembles snake scales. A number of studies have demonstrated that the nutritional profile of this fruit is comparable to those of better known fruits like mango, kiwi and apple, owing to its richness in antioxidants, phenolics, vitamins and minerals. Despite immense food and medicinal benefits, snake fruit is still underutilized and unknown to the global market.Scope and approachTo gain empirical knowledge on snake fruit farming from propagation to harvesting, we interviewed four farmers during our educational visit to two snake fruit orchards located at the Desa Pertapahan (Riau) and Kampar Balige (North Sumatra), Indonesia. In this review, we link together the knowledge shared by farmers and current information extracted from literature, to generate a baseline understanding of the agronomy, nutrient, phytochemical and volatile composition, therapeutic potency and future potential for the snake fruit industry.Key findings and conclusionsWe identify the key challenges for improved utilization of snake fruit as a lack of baseline data on superior germplasm, post-harvest losses and the lack of a sustainable module for knowledge transfer. Evalua...
Source: Trends in Food Science and Technology - Category: Food Science Source Type: research