Biological potential and technological applications of red fruits: An overview

The consumption of red fruits is growing worldwide due to their sensory characteristics and bioactive compounds. The main compounds responsible for the color of red fruits and their biological properties are anthocyanins, i.e., glycosides of cyanidin, pelargonidin, and delphinidin. Many health benefits are associated with the daily intake of phenolic compounds, especially anthocyanins, including mitigation of metabolic syndrome. However, phenolic compounds are highly unstable, and their content may vary due to plant growth and processing conditions. In addition, gastrointestinal digestion also contributes to anthocyanins degradation, which creates a demand for new technologies to preserve these biocompounds. Thus, this review provides details and a critical view of articles published in the last decade about red fruits and their bioactive compounds, including aspects related to fruit cultivars, the absorption of the compounds after digestion, biological potential, and technological applications.