Malpighia emarginata L. cultivation in Brazil: a integrative review

Abstract

The acerola, genus Malpighia, belongs to the family Malpighiaceae, this botanical family has a pantropical distribution, including 75 genera and about 1,300 species. Thus, this study aimed to carry out an integrative bibliographic review in specialized databases on the cultivation of acerola in Brazil. It was found that recently, in Brazil, there has been a considerable expansion of the area cultivated with acerola, genus Malpighia, this event is due to its nutritional qualities, having proteins, calcium, phosphorus, iron and vitamins A, B1, B2, and C, being the flagship with up to 100 times more than in other citrus fruits such as orange, lemon, etc., cultivation facilities and for having an excellent edaphoclimatic adaptation, such expansion is proven by the short time that the plant was spread in the country, since 1955, as it is a plant native to the Caribbean Islands, Central America and North South America. Its cultivation was intensified in the period from 1988 to 1992, due to its importance for human food, and today the Brazil is considered the largest producer of the fruit, with Malpighia emarginata DC and Malpighia glabra L. being the most commercially cultivated species. Generating productive, financial, and social benefits. The good acceptance of the fruit, both in natura fruit and its derivatives, by the national and international market is an important incentive for large-scale production.