Assessing Nutritional Traits and Phytochemical Composition of Artisan Jams Produced in Comoros Islands: Using Indigenous Fruits with High Health-Impact as an Example of Biodiversity Integration and Food Security in Rural Development

摘要

In the Comoros Islands, as in other developing countries, malnutrition and food insecurityaffect a very large percentage of the population. Developing fruit-based products in order tomake profit, reduce poverty and improve indigenous people diet could be very important for localpopulation of countries as Comoros Islands. The aim of the present work was to study the chemicalcomposition of jams and jellies produced from seven fruit species harvested in Grand Comore Island.The following parameters were studied sugars and organic acids, total phenolics, total anthocyaninsand high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) fingerprint of the main phytochemicals.Antioxidant activity was also measured. A multivariate approach (Principal Component Analysis)was performed in order to better characterize the products and to set a potential analytical tool forjam characterisation. Results showed that the analysed products are a good source of polyphenolicconstituents, as caffeic and gallic acids, catechin and quercetin and volatile compounds, as limoneneand γ-terpinene: these molecules may be considered as suitable markers for these fruit-derivedproducts as characterizing the chromatographic patterns. The characterisation of these products andtheir nutritional and nutraceutical traits is important as valorisation of local food production forpoverty reduction and rural development. Further benefits of this approach include the maintenanceof local agro-biodiversity as raw material for fruit-based products and the strengthening of foodsecurity practices.