Muntingia calabura fruits as sources of bioactive compounds and fermentative ethanol production

Muntingia calabura is a neotropical tree. It is a reforestation tree that grows quickly. It has been neglected as a forest tree for a variety of reasons. However, M. calabura may be a viable alternative food and bioenergy source due to its ability to grow in hard conditions and, the fruit is nutritious. The fruit maturity stage is indicated by color change. There were three stages of maturity: the unripe stage with dull green color, mid ripe stage with green-yellow color, and ripe stage with red color: the total sugars and bioactive components were investigated. Total sugar increased in every maturity stage. The fruits are high in phenolic compounds, which are known for their antioxidant properties. In every stage of fruit ripeness, fructose was the most abundant sugar. M. calabura fruits were combined with the robust yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae used for bioethanol production. The maximum ethanol productivity (30.531 g/L) was achieved after 48 h of fermentation. Overall, this study suggested that M. calabura fruits extract can be utilized for healthy bioactive compounds consumption as well as production of bioethanol in order to meet the energy demands.