Among the hundreds of Brazilian's native fruits is grumixama. Its tree used to be found in Brazil's Atlantic Forest, from Pernambuco (PE) to Santa Catarina (SC), but now, unfortunately, it's on the long list of species in extinction, since its wood was very hot in the market.
The tree usually flourishes from September to November and bears fruit from November to February. Using paring techniques, it's possible to have two to three harvests during the season.
The fruit has about 3 cm (1.18in) diameter, purple (nearly black) peel, and white pulp. On the outside, it does look a lot like a cherry, hence the nickname. When mellow, it has a super sweet taste that feels like a jabuticaba and pitanga mix. Being native, the grumixama is very sought by local fauna, and that's why is commonly used in the reforestation of degraded areas. Unfortunately, the fruit is commercially sub utilized, and therefore, it's hard to find a place that sells it.
If you have a grumixama tree in your yard, you can harvest the fruits, and keeping the stalk, sell it as Brazilian cherry. That's what I call increasing the value of the national product!
For human consumption, these little fruits can be gathered directly from the tree or floor, when it has recently fallen. It can be eaten in natura or used in the making of juices, jellies, pies, liquors, ice cream, vinegar, or whatever your heart tells you to do. Common wisdom says you can make a syrup from its bark alongside some honey that works like a charm as an expectorant. Besides, the fruit should be good at healing throat inflammation as well.
A lot of medicine came from researches that pursued to confirm common wisdom in the utilization of plants as remedies. In this particular case, studies show the leaves from grumixama's tree have phenolic compounds with anti-inflammatory activities. which was successfully tested on skin wounds. A study with the fruit revealed the pulp has polyphenols with anti-inflammatory activities, while another one found anthocyanins on the fruit's pulp that has a positive effect on the treatment of pulmonary diseases (study made on cells). A fourth one looked into both leaves and pulp and discovered the leaves have greater antioxidant activity, while anti-inflammatory activities were found in both, plus seeds.
Another super interesting study tried giving grumixama's juice to healthy women just once and noticed how polyphenols were metabolized by the body. This is important because the result from analysis in vitro (using chemical methods in a lab) can vary from the behavior that the same compounds produce in the organism, due to digestion and interactions with other substances. In this study, the metabolites (what's left after the body metabolizes something) found were tested in vitro inside carcinogenic cells, and the result was their growth inhibition. In other words, grumixama's juice could very well be used in cancer treatment.
This little fruit has some potential, huh?
Why don't we consume grumixama every day? Why don't we find grumixama to buy in every local market? Why don't we grow grumixama in our backyards (or in a vase)?
The answer to all these questions is: "because Brazilian people don't appreciate what's ours".
Let's change this reality?
Want to know more?
Topical anti‐inflammatory activity of Eugenia brasiliensis Lam. (Myrtaceae) leaves
Bioprospection of Eugenia brasiliensis, a Brazilian native fruit, as a source of anti-inflammatory and antibiofilm compounds
Anthocyanins from Eugenia brasiliensis edible fruits as potential therapeutics for COPD treatment
Characterization of Bioactive Compounds in Eugenia brasiliensis, Lam. (Grumixama)
Potential antiproliferative activity of polyphenol metabolites against human breast cancer cells and their urine excretion pattern in healthy subjects following acute intake of a polyphenol-rich juice of grumixama (Eugenia brasiliensis Lam.)
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