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The guabiroba, a native fruit of the South and Southeast, is studied by Udesc researchers who discovered that it contains flavonoids and phenolic compounds with the potential to protect arteries, assist in glycemic balance, and reduce total cholesterol, results published in the journal Foods in 2025.
A fruit that grows on large trees in the South and Southeast regions of Brazil and that most Brazilians have never heard of may hide properties that science is beginning to confirm. The guabiroba (Campomanesia xanthocarpa), a relative of the guava in the myrtle family, is the fruit that researchers from Udesc in Santa Catarina are analyzing in a study that revealed a concentration of phenolic compounds with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory action capable of protecting arteries, modulating sugar levels in the bloodstream, and contributing to the reduction of total cholesterol. “Among the highlights of guabiroba are the phenolics, especially the flavonoids,” explains food engineer Aniela Kempka, a professor at Udesc and leader of the group responsible for the article published in 2025 in the scientific journal Foods.
The research results go beyond the laboratory analysis of the fruit. The Udesc scientists prepared a biscuit with guabiroba extract using leaves and fruits, a food that was offered to dogs in a controlled experiment where it was observed that the fruit acts in glycemic control and promotes a reduction in total cholesterol levels. “There was also a reduction in total cholesterol levels,” confirms Kempka, a result that reinforces findings in the scientific literature that the flavonoids present in the fruit act in favor of metabolic health, although analyses in humans are necessary to definitively validate these findings.
What scientists found inside the fruit that protects arteries
The composition of guabiroba revealed an arsenal of bioactive substances that justifies the growing interest in the fruit. Through simulation of the digestive process in the laboratory, Udesc researchers evaluated how the compounds of the fruit and its leaves behave after passing through the digestive system, and discovered that several of these elements remain accessible after simulated digestion. “Several of these compounds remained accessible after simulated digestion,” reveals Kempka, a finding that means the beneficial effects of the fruit remain in the body instead of being destroyed by stomach acids as happens with substances from other foods.
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The specific compounds that the fruit contains are known in nutritional science for their protective effects. Chlorogenic, gallic, caffeic, and ellagic acids, as well as kaempferol, quercetin, and myricetin, are examples of phenolics identified in guabiroba, all with proven antioxidant action and evidence of anti-inflammatory action that protects artery walls against damage leading to cardiovascular diseases. For a fruit that almost no one knows, the list of protective substances is impressive and places guabiroba on the same level as functional foods that the food industry imports from other continents when it has a native equivalent growing in the forests of Southern Brazil.
How the guabiroba biscuit can help control glycemia and cholesterol
The transformation of the fruit into a testable food product was a creative step by the researchers from Santa Catarina. The biscuit made with guabiroba extract included components from both the fruit and the plant’s leaves, a combination that concentrates the flavonoids and phenolic compounds in a form that can be consumed regularly and that in the experiment with dogs demonstrated the ability to modulate sugar levels in the bloodstream. The result confirms that the fruit does not need to be consumed raw to offer benefits: processed in biscuit form, it retains properties that digestion does not destroy.
The reduction in total cholesterol observed in animals that consumed the cookie reinforces the fruit’s potential for applications in metabolic health. However, the researchers themselves acknowledge that results in animal models need to be confirmed in human studies before guabiroba can be recommended as a functional food with proven therapeutic properties. Nutritionist Ana Paula Dorta de Freitas, from the Municipal Hospital of Aparecida de Goiânia, contextualizes the importance of the research: “Guabiroba is a species still little explored, whether for daily consumption or for the development of functional foods,” an assessment that reinforces how much potential the fruit has to be utilized.
What vitamins and minerals does the fruit hide besides flavonoids
Guabiroba is not only notable for its phenolic compounds that protect arteries. Analyses by Embrapa Florestas reveal that the fruit is rich in vitamin C, an ally of the immune system, and minerals like potassium, which aids in blood pressure control, a nutritional combination that alone would justify including guabiroba in the diet of those looking to control cholesterol and improve nutrition. The carotenoids present in the fruit, a group of pigments responsible for the fruit’s characteristic yellow color, add an extra layer of antioxidant protection that complements the action of flavonoids.
The nutritional richness of the fruit makes guabiroba versatile in the kitchen. The small yellow and sweet fruits are popular when consumed fresh directly from the tree, but they also enhance sweet preparations like jams, preserves, ice creams, and juices, as well as work in savory versions like sauces for meats. For those who have access to the fruit in the South and Southeast regions where it naturally grows, incorporating guabiroba into the diet is a way to take advantage of nutrients that most people seek in industrialized supplements when Brazilian nature offers a free and abundant alternative in the forests.
Where to find the fruit and why it is so unknown
Guabiroba grows on large trees that exceed 15 meters in height, predominantly found in the South and Southeast regions in areas of the Atlantic Forest. The fruit does not appear in supermarkets or conventional markets because production is extractive and there is no organized commercial chain to bring guabiroba from the field to the urban consumer, a reality that explains why a fruit with so many beneficial properties remains unknown to most Brazilians while imports like açaí and pomegranate dominate the functional food market. Investigating native ingredients like guabiroba has value that surpasses nutrition: “It is something strategic from different perspectives: scientific, nutritional, economic, or environmental,” analyzes nutritionist Ana Paula Freitas.
Researchers at Udesc are also studying other native fruits of the Atlantic Forest with similar potential. Jabuticaba, pitanga, and araçá are part of the collection of species analyzed by the group, work that expands knowledge about Brazilian food biodiversity and that can generate practical applications in the functional food industry. For guabiroba specifically, the path from scientific discovery to supermarket shelf is still long, but each published study brings the fruit closer to the recognition its properties deserve and that can transform a “forgotten” species into a valued ingredient.
And you, have you tried guabiroba? Did you know this fruit related to guava? Leave your opinion in the comments.
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