Camu Camu
Encyclopedia
Myrciaria dubia, commonly known as Camu camu, Camucamu, Cacari, and Camocamo, is a small (approx. 3-5 m
tall) bushy river
side tree
from the Amazon rainforest
vegetation
in Peru
and Brazil
, which bears a red/purple cherry
-like fruit
. Its small flowers have waxy white petals and a sweet-smelling aroma. It has bushy feathery foliage. The evergreen
, opposite leaves are lanceolate to elliptic
. Individual leaves are 3 – 20 cm in length and 1 – 2 cm wide. It is a close relative of the Jaboticaba (Myrciaria cauliflora) and the Guavaberry
or Rumberry (Myrciaria floribunda).
Wild trees have been found to yield 12 kg of fruit on average. At suggested planting densities of 600-1100 trees/ha, about 12 t fruit can be derived in cultivation from one hectare. However, with improved horticultural techniques, such as the use of clonal elite material, pruning and fertilization, much higher yields could be achieved.
The current range of Camu camu comprises the Amazonian lowlands of Colombia
, Ecuador
, Peru
, Bolivia
and Brazil
. The distribution of Camu camu extends from the center of Pará
state, Brazil, along the mid and upper Amazon River
to the eastern part of Peru; in the north it appears in the Casiquiare and the upper and middle Orinoco River. In Brazil it is found in Rondônia
along the Maçangana and Urupa
Rivers and in Amazonas, in the municipalities of Manaus
and Manacapuru
and along the Javarí, Madeira and Negro Rivers.
Long used by native peoples, wild Camu camu is harvested directly into canoes. The fruit has only recently come into large-scale cultivation and sale to the world market with Japan
being the major buyer. It is relatively easy to cultivate. It survives best in hot, damp tropical climates but will grow in the subtropics, surviving temperatures down to just above freezing. It requires copious water and withstands flooding. Trees begin to bear fruit after about 4 to 6 years.
Camu camu has an extraordinarily high vitamin C
content (in the order of 2-3% of fresh weight, second only to the Australian native Terminalia ferdinandiana
) and is the most important property of the Camu camu fruit, which has been exploited consistently in positioning Camu camu on international markets. Vitamin C content declines as full maturity is reached, and there is a trade-off between vitamin C and flavour expression. As a myrtaceous fruit, Camu camu most likely provides other nutritional benefits, but these are less understood and communicated to consumers.
Camu camu has also a unique aroma and fruit pigmentation. A reddish pigment in the leathery skin (probably anthocyanins) imparts an attractive and unique pink color on juices extracted from Camu camu. The aroma is subtle, but is not as captivating as in more popular fruits. Camu camu is more recently also used in ice creams, sweets, etc.
Processed powder from the fruit pulp is beginning to be sold in the west as a health food in loose powder or capsule form. In addition to the high vitamin C content it contains the amino acid
s valine
, leucine
and serine
.
It is also rich in flavonoids, such as anthocyanin
s, flavonols and flavanols, catechin
s, delphinidin 3-glucoside, cyanidin 3-glucoside, ellagic acid
and rutin
; other analysis revealed the presence of gallic
and ellagic acid
s, suggesting that Camu camu fruit possesses hydrolyzed tannins (gallo
- and/or ellagitannins).
. Efforts are underway to encourage the commercial growing of Camu camu in the Amazon River Basin.
see links.
Metre
The metre , symbol m, is the base unit of length in the International System of Units . Originally intended to be one ten-millionth of the distance from the Earth's equator to the North Pole , its definition has been periodically refined to reflect growing knowledge of metrology...
tall) bushy river
River
A river is a natural watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, a lake, a sea, or another river. In a few cases, a river simply flows into the ground or dries up completely before reaching another body of water. Small rivers may also be called by several other names, including...
side tree
Tree
A tree is a perennial woody plant. It is most often defined as a woody plant that has many secondary branches supported clear of the ground on a single main stem or trunk with clear apical dominance. A minimum height specification at maturity is cited by some authors, varying from 3 m to...
from the Amazon rainforest
Amazon Rainforest
The Amazon Rainforest , also known in English as Amazonia or the Amazon Jungle, is a moist broadleaf forest that covers most of the Amazon Basin of South America...
vegetation
Vegetation
Vegetation is a general term for the plant life of a region; it refers to the ground cover provided by plants. It is a general term, without specific reference to particular taxa, life forms, structure, spatial extent, or any other specific botanical or geographic characteristics. It is broader...
in Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
and Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
, which bears a red/purple cherry
Cherry
The cherry is the fruit of many plants of the genus Prunus, and is a fleshy stone fruit. The cherry fruits of commerce are usually obtained from a limited number of species, including especially cultivars of the wild cherry, Prunus avium....
-like fruit
Fruit
In broad terms, a fruit is a structure of a plant that contains its seeds.The term has different meanings dependent on context. In non-technical usage, such as food preparation, fruit normally means the fleshy seed-associated structures of certain plants that are sweet and edible in the raw state,...
. Its small flowers have waxy white petals and a sweet-smelling aroma. It has bushy feathery foliage. The evergreen
Evergreen
In botany, an evergreen plant is a plant that has leaves in all seasons. This contrasts with deciduous plants, which completely lose their foliage during the winter or dry season.There are many different kinds of evergreen plants, both trees and shrubs...
, opposite leaves are lanceolate to elliptic
Leaf shape
In botany, leaf shape is characterised with the following terms :* Acicular : Slender and pointed, needle-like* Acuminate : Tapering to a long point...
. Individual leaves are 3 – 20 cm in length and 1 – 2 cm wide. It is a close relative of the Jaboticaba (Myrciaria cauliflora) and the Guavaberry
Guavaberry
The guavaberry or rumberry is a fruit tree which grows in the Caribbean. The guavaberry, which should not be confused with the guava, is a close relative of Camu Camu....
or Rumberry (Myrciaria floribunda).
Description
Camu camu is used mainly for its edible fruits. The tree occurs in locally dense populations (1000/ha) or even monospecific stands in Amazonian flood plains and riparian vegetation. The plant is extremely tolerant of flooding, withstanding 4 to 5 months with the roots and even much of the aerial parts submerged in water. The species propagates through botanical seeds. In cultivation, the tree begins bearing fruits after attaining 2 cm in stem girth (three years after emergence of the seedling). Harvests are seasonal and occur once per year, in synchrony with the annual cycle of precipitation. Plants flower at the end of the dry season and fruit at the peak of the rainy season. Observations with both wild and cultivated plants suggest that trees can remain productive for several decades.Wild trees have been found to yield 12 kg of fruit on average. At suggested planting densities of 600-1100 trees/ha, about 12 t fruit can be derived in cultivation from one hectare. However, with improved horticultural techniques, such as the use of clonal elite material, pruning and fertilization, much higher yields could be achieved.
The current range of Camu camu comprises the Amazonian lowlands of Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
, Ecuador
Ecuador
Ecuador , officially the Republic of Ecuador is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is one of only two countries in South America, along with Chile, that do not have a border...
, Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
, Bolivia
Bolivia
Bolivia officially known as Plurinational State of Bolivia , is a landlocked country in central South America. It is the poorest country in South America...
and Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
. The distribution of Camu camu extends from the center of Pará
Pará
Pará is a state in the north of Brazil. It borders the Brazilian states of Amapá, Maranhão, Tocantins, Mato Grosso, Amazonas and Roraima. To the northwest it also borders Guyana and Suriname, and to the northeast it borders the Atlantic Ocean. The capital is Belém.Pará is the most populous state...
state, Brazil, along the mid and upper Amazon River
Amazon River
The Amazon of South America is the second longest river in the world and by far the largest by waterflow with an average discharge greater than the next seven largest rivers combined...
to the eastern part of Peru; in the north it appears in the Casiquiare and the upper and middle Orinoco River. In Brazil it is found in Rondônia
Rondônia
Rondônia is a state in Brazil, located in the north-western part of the country. To the west is a short border with the state of Acre, to the north is the state of Amazonas, in the east is Mato Grosso, and in the south is Bolivia. Its capital is Porto Velho. The state was named after Candido Rondon...
along the Maçangana and Urupa
Urupá River
-References:*...
Rivers and in Amazonas, in the municipalities of Manaus
Manaus
Manaus is a city in Brazil, the capital of the state of Amazonas. It is situated at the confluence of the Negro and Solimões rivers. It is the most populous city of Amazonas, according to the statistics of Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics, and is a popular ecotourist destination....
and Manacapuru
Manacapuru
Manacapuru is a municipality located in the Brazilian state of Amazonas. Its population was 85,144 and its area is 7,329 km². It is also one of the biggest cities of the state, and shares its name with Rio Manacapuru, a tributary to the Amazon River....
and along the Javarí, Madeira and Negro Rivers.
Long used by native peoples, wild Camu camu is harvested directly into canoes. The fruit has only recently come into large-scale cultivation and sale to the world market with Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
being the major buyer. It is relatively easy to cultivate. It survives best in hot, damp tropical climates but will grow in the subtropics, surviving temperatures down to just above freezing. It requires copious water and withstands flooding. Trees begin to bear fruit after about 4 to 6 years.
Uses
Documentation of traditional Camu camu uses is scarce. It is unlikely that in traditional Amazonian societies Camu camu has ever been nutritionally relevant. The fruit is extremely acidic, and the flavour can only be appreciated in recipes requiring a blender, dilution in milk/water and the addition of sugar.Camu camu has an extraordinarily high vitamin C
Vitamin C
Vitamin C or L-ascorbic acid or L-ascorbate is an essential nutrient for humans and certain other animal species. In living organisms ascorbate acts as an antioxidant by protecting the body against oxidative stress...
content (in the order of 2-3% of fresh weight, second only to the Australian native Terminalia ferdinandiana
Terminalia ferdinandiana
Terminalia ferdinandiana, also called the gubinge, billygoat plum, Kakadu plum or murunga is a flowering plant in the family Combretaceae, native to Australia, widespread throughout the tropical woodlands from northwestern Australia to eastern Arnhem Land.Its vitamin C concentration may be as high...
) and is the most important property of the Camu camu fruit, which has been exploited consistently in positioning Camu camu on international markets. Vitamin C content declines as full maturity is reached, and there is a trade-off between vitamin C and flavour expression. As a myrtaceous fruit, Camu camu most likely provides other nutritional benefits, but these are less understood and communicated to consumers.
Camu camu has also a unique aroma and fruit pigmentation. A reddish pigment in the leathery skin (probably anthocyanins) imparts an attractive and unique pink color on juices extracted from Camu camu. The aroma is subtle, but is not as captivating as in more popular fruits. Camu camu is more recently also used in ice creams, sweets, etc.
Processed powder from the fruit pulp is beginning to be sold in the west as a health food in loose powder or capsule form. In addition to the high vitamin C content it contains the amino acid
Amino acid
Amino acids are molecules containing an amine group, a carboxylic acid group and a side-chain that varies between different amino acids. The key elements of an amino acid are carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen...
s valine
Valine
Valine is an α-amino acid with the chemical formula HO2CCHCH2. L-Valine is one of 20 proteinogenic amino acids. Its codons are GUU, GUC, GUA, and GUG. This essential amino acid is classified as nonpolar...
, leucine
Leucine
Leucine is a branched-chain α-amino acid with the chemical formula HO2CCHCH2CH2. Leucine is classified as a hydrophobic amino acid due to its aliphatic isobutyl side chain. It is encoded by six codons and is a major component of the subunits in ferritin, astacin and other 'buffer' proteins...
and serine
Serine
Serine is an amino acid with the formula HO2CCHCH2OH. It is one of the proteinogenic amino acids. By virtue of the hydroxyl group, serine is classified as a polar amino acid.-Occurrence and biosynthesis:...
.
It is also rich in flavonoids, such as anthocyanin
Anthocyanin
Anthocyanins are water-soluble vacuolar pigments that may appear red, purple, or blue according to pH...
s, flavonols and flavanols, catechin
Catechin
Catechin is a natural phenol antioxidant plant secondary metabolite. The term catechins is also commonly used to refer to the related family of flavonoids and the subgroup flavan-3-ols ....
s, delphinidin 3-glucoside, cyanidin 3-glucoside, ellagic acid
Ellagic acid
Ellagic acid is a natural phenol antioxidant found in numerous fruits and vegetables including blackberries, raspberries, strawberries, cranberries, walnuts, pecans, pomegranates, wolfberry and other plant foods...
and rutin
Rutin
Rutin, also called rutoside, quercetin-3-O-rutinoside and sophorin, is a citrus flavonoid glycoside found in buckwheat, the leaves and petioles of Rheum species, and asparagus...
; other analysis revealed the presence of gallic
Gallic acid
Gallic acid is a trihydroxybenzoic acid, a type of phenolic acid, a type of organic acid, also known as 3,4,5-trihydroxybenzoic acid, found in gallnuts, sumac, witch hazel, tea leaves, oak bark, and other plants. The chemical formula is C6H23COOH. Gallic acid is found both free and as part of...
and ellagic acid
Ellagic acid
Ellagic acid is a natural phenol antioxidant found in numerous fruits and vegetables including blackberries, raspberries, strawberries, cranberries, walnuts, pecans, pomegranates, wolfberry and other plant foods...
s, suggesting that Camu camu fruit possesses hydrolyzed tannins (gallo
Gallotannin
A gallotannin is a class of molecules belonging to the hydrolysable tannins. Gallotannins are polymers formed when gallic acid, a polyphenol monomer, esterifies and binds with the hydroxyl group of a polyol carbohydrate such as glucose.-Metabolism:...
- and/or ellagitannins).
Constraints to the expansion of current use
- Price. At FOB prices in Peru soaring to USD 3500 per ton of single-strength juice, Camu camu is 4-5 times more expensive than comparable fruit pulps and even concentrates. The high price of Camu camu is a consequence of the difficult logistics involved in production for off-site consumption. The fruits are locally collected, processed and frozen, then shipped over long distances, and exported via ocean freight. The high price of Camu camu obviously limits demand.
- Competition from natural sources of vitamin C. Concentrates and extracts of rose hips, acerolaAcerolaMalpighia emarginata is a tropical fruit-bearing shrub or small tree in the family Malpighiaceae. Common names include acerola, Barbados cherry, West Indian cherry and wild crapemyrtle....
(a Malpighiaceous fruit) are less expensive per unit of vitamin C, probably because of economies of scale. - Irregularity of quality and timing of raw material supplies from wild populations. Prices paid to fruit collectors on the Rio Napo in Peru in Jan 2006 soared to $1/kg fresh fruit because of drought-induced low harvests. Local markets are still able to pay such prices for limited quantities, but local processors and exporters have been put out of business, at least until prices relax to make the purchase of raw material affordable again. Exporters insure themselves against irregular raw material supplies by maintaining large stocks of frozen finished produce, but this further adds to cost.
- Food safety legislation in export markets. As a food product Camu camu has probably not been available in the EU prior 1997 and may therefore be subject to the Novel Food Regulation (NFR), which requires very stringent food safety requirements to be met before a product is granted access to the community’s market. The scientific documentation as to the toxicity, nutritional composition and potential allergenic hazards required by NFR is currently not available. The NFR has discouraged investment in export-oriented supply chains and has emerged as a serious constraint to many NUS products (see external links to GFU documentation, Hermann 2004).
Conservation issues
Currently, the over-harvesting of wild Camu camu threatens to make it an endangered speciesEndangered species
An endangered species is a population of organisms which is at risk of becoming extinct because it is either few in numbers, or threatened by changing environmental or predation parameters...
. Efforts are underway to encourage the commercial growing of Camu camu in the Amazon River Basin.
see links.
External links
- Conservation issues with pictures of the tree, fruits and harvest method.
- Tropical Plant Database
- Myrciaria dubia List of Chemicals (Dr. Duke's Database)
- Texts and commentary on EU Novel Food Regulation
- For extensive information on how food safety inspired EU legislation has emerged as a market access barrier for Camu camu and other underutilized plant species, see http://www.underutilized-species.org/eu.asp