Nutritional and Biochemical Assessment of Edible Fruits From Angola's Native Flora.

Angola's native flora hides a wealth of underexplored edible fruits with significant nutritional and bioactive potential. This study provides a comprehensive evaluation of the physicochemical and bioactive potential of some less explored edible fruits from this country, namely , , , , , and . Nutritional profiling revealed carbohydrates as the predominant macronutrient, with exhibiting the highest concentration (93.3 g/100 g dw). , in turn, stood out for its high fat content (40.5 g/100 g dw), while contained the highest protein levels (15-6 g/100 g dw). Free sugars analysis highlighted for its elevated fructose and glucose levels, contributing to its pronounced characteristic sweetness, whereas exhibited minimal sugar content (1.27 g/100 g dw). Organic acid profiling revealed malic acid as dominant. Saturated fatty acids were predominant across most fruits, with showing the highest levels (71.6%), while was enriched in monounsaturated fatty acids (45.15%). The phenolic analysis revealed a rich profile in bioactive compounds, with and exhibiting significant levels of quercetin-3--rutinoside, while , , and were characterized by distinct major phenolic compounds, such as cyanidin-3--glucoside, isorhamnetin-3--glucoside, and corilagin, respectively. Antioxidant activity was strongest in and (EC = 0.18 and 0.25 μg/mL, respectively), while exhibited notable antibacterial activity (MIC = 0.3 mg/mL). This study underscores the nutritional and bioactive potential of Angola's native fruits, highlighting their applications in the food, nutraceutical, and pharmaceutical industries.