Preface

摘要

Fruits are one of the most important links in the food chains essential for sustenance of life on the planet Earth and can be classified as tropical or subtropical, depending on where they are cultivated. Asia and the Pacific Rim are the major producing regions, followed by Latin America, the Caribbean, and Africa. Most developing countries have a rich biodiversity, with a significant number of species that are widely consumed among native people but completely unknown in the rest of the world. These fruits exhibit exotic characteristics due to their adaptation to special climatic conditions, this fact make them attractive for new markets. For example, fruits from South America, such as Cape gooseberry (Physalis peruviana), passion fruit (Passiflora edulis Sims), pitahaya (Hylocereous triangular is), acai (Euterpe oleracea), and tamarillo (Solarium betaceum Cav.) have been commercialized in Europe and are used in "haute cuisine". Likewise, mangosteen (Garcinia mangostana), durian (Durio zibethinus), lychee (Litchi chinensis), and rambutan (Nephellium lappaceum) are representative of the Asian Pacific Rim; also, jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus), and carambola (Averhoa carambola) are cultivated in India and surroundings. These fruits not only satisfy hunger but also provide year-round sources of nutrients and exhibit a distinctive flavor and appearance that implies good consumer acceptance. Each of these fruits has a characteristic volatile composition that creates unique and distinctive volatile flavour profiles. Non-volatile compounds, such as polyphenols, peptides, or terpenoids, among others, are responsible for fruit colour and health benefits. Fruit color is a key indicator of ripeness and the first sensory parameter that captures the consumer's attention. The vast genetic diversity in tropical and subtropical fruits makes them nature's bounty of bioactive compounds with flavor, color and health benefits.