Quality aspects of marula (Sclerocarya birrea) fruit, nutritional composition, and the formation of value-added products for human nutrition: a review

Abstract

AbstractThe review aimed to explore the reported biochemical, nutritional, and quality aspects of marula fruit and its value-added products for enhancement of human nutrition. Marula (Sclerocarya birrea) fruit is one of the underutilised indigenous fruits that grows naturally across the northern and eastern regions of Southern Africa. A search on Google Scholar, Scopus, Science Direct, and Web of Science databases was conducted in September and November of 2023. Use the following search “terms’’ to find relevant literature: “Marula fruit, underutilised African fruit crops, “Nutritional composition of marula fruit”, “biochemical constituents of marula fruit, “marula fruit value-added products, function in human health and nutrition”. Available literature shows that almost every part of a tree, namely the leaves, bark, roots, and fruit, have known nutritional benefits for human health and nutrition. The fruit contains valuable biochemical constituents such as vitamin C, carotene, flavonoids, phenols, calcium, magnesium, iron, and zinc. Its value-added products, such as alcoholic beverages, juice, jam, and nuts, contain biochemical constituents with potential enrichment of human health and nutrition, endorsing a compelling case for potential commercialisation globally. The different nutritional and biochemical properties were compared against the human recommended daily intake to determine their potential role in human health and nutrition. The study reveals that the marula fruit and its value-added products may be vital in providing the required nutrients to meet human nutritional daily needs and could play a pivotal role in accelerating the Sustainable Development Goals 1 and 2 (no poverty and zero hunger). Therefore, there is a need for more research on agroprocessing of marula fruit to create nutritious value-added products, for potential commercialisation. As a result, the objective of the study was to examine the literature on the biochemical components of marula fruit and its value-added products, comparing them to the daily recommended intake, while assessing their possible significance in human nutrition for possible commercialisation.