{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,17]],"date-time":"2026-10-17T01:02:08Z","timestamp":1792198928636,"version":"4.4.0"},"reference-count":69,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,28]],"date-time":"2026-07-28T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1785196800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Nutr."],"abstract":"<jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Introduction<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>\n                      <jats:italic>Strychnos spinosa<\/jats:italic>\n                      Lam. (monkey orange) is a drought-tolerant indigenous fruit tree distributed across sub-Saharan Africa, valued traditionally for nutrition and medicine but remaining underutilised in formal economies. This review synthesises literature on the fruit\u2019s physicochemical properties, phytonutrient profile, value-added products, and bio-accessibility to evaluate its potential as a functional food.\n                    <\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>A systematic literature search was conducted following PRISMA guidelines across database using different keyword strings. Of 387 initial records identified, 75 studies met inclusion criteria and were included in the qualitative synthesis.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>The pulp is characterised by high acidity (pH 2.5\u20134.0), soluble solids (12\u201322 \u00b0Brix), and pulp yield (30\u201360%). Nutritionally, it is rich in carbohydrates, dietary fibre, and minerals including potassium, magnesium, calcium, iron, and zinc. Phytochemical profiling revealed bioactive compounds such as chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid, rutin, and carotenoids, underpinning antioxidant, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory activities. Value-added products including juices, jams, fermented beverages, and dried rolls have demonstrated feasibility. However, a critical knowledge gap persists: while compositional analyses confirm high phytonutrient content, their bio-accessibility remains poorly characterised.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Discussion<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>\n                      Factors including carotenoid lipophilicity, phenolic compound stability during digestion, and processing impacts on nutrient release have not been systematically quantified. Without integrating standardised bio-accessibility studies, the physiological relevance of\n                      <jats:italic>S. spinosa\u2019s<\/jats:italic>\n                      phytonutrients cannot be validated, and commercialisation as a functional food remains speculative. Fermentation emerges as a promising traditional and scalable method to enhance nutrient bioavailability through phenolic modification, cell wall disruption, and reduction of anti-nutritional factors.\n                    <\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Conclusion<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>\n                      This review recommends prioritising bio-accessibility investigations alongside fermentation optimisation to transform\n                      <jats:italic>S. spinosa<\/jats:italic>\n                      into a validated, climate-smart functional food for sub-Saharan Africa, supporting evidence-based product development, nutrition security, and rural economic opportunities.\n                    <\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.3389\/fnut.2026.1875659","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,28]],"date-time":"2026-07-28T14:36:25Z","timestamp":1785249385000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Monkey orange (Strychnos spinosa lam): a review of phytonutrients, bio-accessibility, value-added products, and potential as a functional food"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"13","author":[{"given":"Tyson Tebogo","family":"Mokgalabone","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Science and Agriculture, University of Limpopo","place":["Mankweng, South Africa"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Semakaleng","family":"Mpai","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Science and Agriculture, University of Limpopo","place":["Mankweng, South Africa"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Nontuthuko Rosemary","family":"Ntuli","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Science, Agriculture and Engineering, University of Zululand KwaDlangezwa","place":["South Africa"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Nhlanhla","family":"Mathaba","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Science and Agriculture, University of Limpopo","place":["Mankweng, South Africa"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ashwell Rungano","family":"Ndhlala","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Science and Agriculture, University of Limpopo","place":["Mankweng, South Africa"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,28]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"278","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ecolecon.2018.11.018","article-title":"The optimal supply of crop pollination and honey from wild and managed bees: an analytical framework for diverse socio-economic and ecological settings","volume":"157","author":"Narjes","year":"2019","journal-title":"Ecol Econ"},{"key":"ref2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"143","DOI":"10.5073\/JABFQ.2022.095.019","article-title":"Potential and nutritional properties of local food plants from Angola to combat malnutrition \u2212 suitable alternatives to frequently cultivated crops","volume":"95","author":"Baumg\u00e4rtel","year":"2022","journal-title":"J Appl Bot Food Qual"},{"key":"ref3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"2074","DOI":"10.3390\/su9112074","article-title":"Foraging is determinant to improve smallholders' food security in rural areas in Mali, West Africa","volume":"9","author":"N\u2019Danikou","year":"2017","journal-title":"Sustainability"},{"key":"ref4","first-page":"1","volume-title":"Global Perspectives on Underutilized Crops","author":"Yasin","year":"2018"},{"key":"ref5","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"123","DOI":"10.1080\/87559129.2016.1149862","article-title":"Local processing and nutritional composition of indigenous fruits: the case of monkey orange (Strychnos spp.) from southern Africa","volume":"33","author":"Ngadze","year":"2017","journal-title":"Food Rev Intl"},{"key":"ref6","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"6623","DOI":"10.3390\/su14116623","article-title":"Indigenous knowledge on the uses and morphological variation among Strychnos spinosa lam. 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