In recent years, the production of tropical fruits has increased considerably. Although tropical fruits only account for 3% of the global exports of agricultural food products, they are one of the most valuable fruit groups worldwide. Proven health benefits make tropical fruit tree extracts high in demand. Besides their contribution to macronutrient consumption, tropical fruits are characterized as a natural source of bioactive compounds. Their high antioxidant capacity helps in the prevention of diseases related to oxidative stress and chronic inflammation. This is why there is great interest in tropical fruit trees from the food, pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries.

The nuts market worldwide is valued today at an astounding 55 billion USD. It is projected to reach over an 80 billion USD market value by the year 2030. Nuts are one of the oldest tree foods known to the world with some trees dating back to as early as 10,000 BC. They have been described by some countries as “happy” foods while others have referred to them as “smiling” foods. However, there is much more to nuts than just the good feelings that they bring. The extracts that can be taken from the harvested nuts have many uses and are sometimes even more valuable than the actual consumed nut itself.