Written by:
Anatome App
Malpighia emarginata or acerola is a tropical, fruit-bearing, small tree in the family Malpighiaceae. It is native to South America and Central America, but is now also being grown as far north as Texas and in subtropical areas of Asia, such as India.
The fruit is edible and widely consumed in the species native area and is cultivated elsewhere for its high vitamin C content. About 1677 mg of vitamin C are in 100 g of fruit. A comparative analysis of antioxidant potency among a variety of frozen juice pulps was carried out, including the acerola fruit. Among the 11 fruit pulps tested, acerola was the highest-scoring fruit, meaning it had the most antioxidant potency.