Nutritional, pharmaceutical, and functional aspects of rambutan in industrial perspective: An updated review

• Published in: Food science & nutrition Vol. 11; no. 7; pp. 3675 - 3685
• Main Authors: Afzaal, Muhammad, Saeed, Farhan, Bibi, Maryam, Ejaz, Afaf, Shah, Yasir Abbas, Faisal, Zargham, Ateeq, Huda, Akram, Noor, Asghar, Aasma, Shah, Mohd Asif
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States John Wiley & Sons, Inc 01-07-2023; John Wiley and Sons Inc
• Subjects: Amino acids; Anticancer properties; antioxidant; Bioactive compounds; Biological activity; By products; Carbohydrates; Cultivars; Diabetes mellitus; Dietary fiber; Fibers; Food; Fruits; functional food; Functional foods & nutraceuticals; Herbal medicine; Industrial applications; Lipids; Nephelium lappaceum; Pharmaceuticals; phytochemical; Phytochemicals; Proteins; rambutan; Review; Reviews; Seeds; Skin; Vitamin B; Vitamins; Thailand; Malaysia; Indonesia; industrial applications; antioxidant; functional food; rambutan; phytochemical
• ISSN: 2048-7177; 2048-7177
• DOI: 10.1002/fsn3.3379

Numerous researchers have been motivated to investigate new plant sources as a result of the continued advancement of functional foods and herbal medicines. The rambutan fruit (Nephelium lappaceum L.) with its significant nutritional and bioactive compositions offers therapeutic properties such as anticancer, antiallergic, antiobesity, antidiabetic, antimicrobial, antihypercholesterolemic, and antihyperglycemic. Rambutan is high in antioxidants, dietary fibers, and vitamins and minerals. Its parts including fruit peel, pulp, and seed are a great source of bioactive compounds. Rambutan fruit extracts have been found to have cardioprotective and hepatoprotective properties. This review provides an insight into the nutritional as well as therapeutic value, health potential, and utilization of rambutan fruit along with its nonedible parts (seeds and peels). Advanced research and phytochemical screening would also encourage the rambutan fruit as a viable choice for the preparation of medications and functional foods. However, it is necessary to further analyze the functional aspects and nutritional potential of this fruit along with the therapeutic mechanisms and to improve its industrial use as a nutraceutical and functional food product.
Rambutan contains a number of bioactive components in its peel, seed, and pulp. Phytochemical substances have nutritional properties and therapeutic potential such as antioxidant, antibacterial, anticancer, antidiabetic, antiviral, anti‐inflammatory, and antiproliferative activities. To improve this fruit's industrial processing as a functional or medicinal food product, the underlying medicinal strategies as well as its nutritional and physiological potential to be further assessed.