NATURA CAMU CAMU

COMMERCIAL DESCRIPTION OF  THE PRODUCT

Common Name: Camu Camu

Scientific Name: Myrciaria Dubia

Family: Myrtaceae

English Name: Camu Camu

 

I.   DESCRIPTION OF THE PLANT

Myrciana Dubia is a small tree that grows to 3 meters high, has deep roots and  glabrous (smooth) branches. The leaves are elliptic, of 5 to 9 cm long, 1.5 to 4 cm wide; the apex is sharp and its base cuneiform. It has a nerve line in the middle of the face and secondary nerves from it. The flowers are axillary and white.  The fruit is small, ovoid, smooth, shiny surface, red in color and 2 to 4 cm in size. It has a very strong acid taste (1)

 

HABITAT: This is a plant native to the Peruvian Amazon, found principally along the rivers Ucayali and Amazon and their affluents.

 

  

Camu-Camu

 

 

II.  HISTORICAL AND TRADITIONAL USE

Half a century ago, the fruit was unknown to the urban populations of the Amazon, not knowing whether it was edible.  The first chemical analysis of the fruit revealed its exceptional Vitamin C content and this brought interest and use of Camu Camu as an anti-oxidant.

Camu Camu is appreciated also for its high content of flavonoids and pectins that have an important health role.

 

                                Compartive Scale of Vitamin C content (mg/100g)

 

Fruit	Vitamin C content (mg)	Compared to Camu Camu (%)
Pineapple	20	0.7
Maracuya	22	0.8
Pomelo	34	1.2
Strawberry	42	1.5
Lemon	44	1.6
Orange	53	1.9
Marañón	108	3.9
Acerola cherry	1300	46.8
Mosqueta	2390	50
CAMU CAMU	2780	--------

 

        Source: USDA Nutrient database for Standards, release 12 (1998);

        Natural Food Hub (2000) Dr. Hugo Villachica (2)

 

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(1)... Revista de Agroecología.  LEISA,  23.3. Diciembre 2007, pág 22-24. Artículo:  “El Camu Camu y sus usos populares como planta medicinal”.  De Mario Pinedo (Instituto de Investigaciones de la Amazonía Peruana – IIAP, Iquitos, Perú) y Martín Armas (Universidad Nacional de la Amazonía Peruana – UANP, Iquitos, Perú).

 

(2)… Dr. Hugo Villachica, Consultor del Proyecto RLA/92/G 32 PNUD/GEF, “EL CULTIVO DEL CAMU CAMU (Myrciaria dubia H.B.K. Mc Vaugh) EN LA AMAZONIA PERUANA”,  Tratado de Cooperación Amazónica, Secretaria Pro-Tempore, Lima – Perú. Pág 3, 7.

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