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R E S E A R C H F O R D E V E L O P M E N T 2 0 1 1CamilleBowen-ForbesTapping into a Natural Resource:Under-Utilized Jamaican Fruits50 51It is a well-known fact that the place we callhome, Jamaica, is rich in medicinal plants. Go to anycommunity - rural or urban - and ask someone abouta possible treatment for cold or fever, and it willbecome clear that the use, or at least the knowledge,of traditional medicines is quite prevalent. Amongthe parts of these plants that are most frequentlyused are the leaves, roots, and bark. Fruits are lessoften employed as medicines, and when they are, it isusually the unripe fruits that are used. It has alwaysbeen known that fruits are good for health. However,over the last few decades, there has been significantlyincreased interest and focus on fruits and their rolein prevention of various diseases, such as cancer,arthritis, cardiovascular disease and Alzheimer’sdisease. Jamaica is among the most fruitful countriesof the world, and many of our edible fruit species arenot known by the masses. As a result of this, theirinclusion in the diet, cultivation, and use in researchand food product development has not been exploited.Promising Results from Jamaican FruitsThe research has revealed that the Jamaican berriespossess high antioxidant activities and levels ofanthocyanins, which are comparable to those foundin similar commercial varieties sold in the USA.Anthocyanins are the compounds responsible for theorange, red, blue and purple colours of most flowers,fruits and other plant parts. They protect cells fromoxidative damage and possess anti-inflammatory,anti-cancer, anti-diabetic and other properties.The Jamaican berries demonstrated superior antiinflammatoryand anti-cancer properties whencompared to their overseas counterparts. Additionally,compounds isolated from the red raspberries showedanti-cancer activity.