Puçá fruits are native to the Cerrado biome yet little explored, presenting different varieties with distinct fruit peel colors. Although puçá fruits have been known to exhibit a good source of bioactive compounds, the phenolic profile of some varieties remains unknown. Based on this context, our research aimed to evaluate the chemical composition and bioactive compounds and characterize for the first time the phenolic profile in yellow puçá, brown puçá, and black puçá by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with diode array detection (HPLC–DAD). The three puçá varieties contained considerable quantities of important food constituents, such as high concentrations of vitamin C, carotenoids and phenolic compounds. These fruits are mostly composed of phenolic acids, with p-coumaric acid being the major compound in all varieties, while ellagic acid was detected only in the brown puçá. Moreover, (−)-epicatechin was found only in the yellow puçá. This study is the first to report the identification of the phenolic profile in puçá. Moreover, our data indicate that the three fruit varieties present a promising chemical composition, suggesting that they may serve as potential sources of natural antioxidants. In addition, these findings can contribute to the establishment of puçá as a novel ingredient for formulations with functional claims.

Whey is a by-product of the dairy industry of great importance due to its high nutritional value, and can be used for the manufacture of fermented dairy drinks which, combined with fruit, increase the nutritional value and add characteristic flavors. Therefore, a fermented dairy beverage with caja-mango pulp (Spondias dulcis) was elaborated and its nutritional information as well as the physical-chemical stability were evaluated during storage. The results showed that the nutritional information met the requirements stipulated by the Brazilian legislation. The physical-chemical stability of the dairy fermented drink in terms of pH, acidity, syneresis and sedimentation was influenced by the storage time, possibly associated with uncontrolled factors in this study, such as the initial and final dairy culture concentration of the processed product, protein biodegradation during storage and low solids contents. It is concluded that the elaborated drink constitutes a food source of several nutrients, and may complement the daily diet of children, adolescents and adults, supplying nutritional deficiencies.

This study investigated baru oil and partially defatted baru flour from the northwest region of Minas Gerais, Brazil. The physicochemical characterization of the oil was made by determining the fatty acid profile using gas chromatography, lutein, and α- and β- carotenes by means of high-performance liquid chromatography, and total carotenoids by spectrophotometry. The flour was analyzed for its chemical composition, fiber, and mineral contents. Baru oil presented excellent quality parameters and high contents in unsaturated fatty acids and carotenoids. The flour showed relevant levels of proteins, lipids, and dietary fiber, in addition to having representative mineral contents for food such as manganese, magnesium, and copper. Thus, baru oil and the by-product of its extraction offer a rich chemical composition, and their application may add nutritional value to foods in addition to reducing negative environmental impacts.

O buriti (Mauritia flexuosa L.) é uma palmeira da família Arecaceae, que ocorre no Cerrado, sendo encontrado notadamente nas veredas. O fruto do buriti se destaca por possuir uma composição química complexa, com destaque para sua fração lipídica. Entretanto, dependendo da região de ocorrência dos frutos, este óleo vegetal pode apresentar características distintas. Nesse sentido, este trabalho teve como objetivo caracterizar o óleo de buriti proveniente de três municípios do Norte de Minas Gerais. Foram realizadas análises de caracterização físico-química, perfil de ácidos graxos por cromatografia gasosa, luteína, α – e β-carotenos por cromatografia líquida de alta eficiência e carotenoides totais por espectrofotometria. Os resultados demostraram que não houve diferença significativa entre as amostras de cada município analisado. Além disso, o óleo apresentou bom rendimento, ótima qualidade físico-química, além de ser uma fonte rica de ácidos graxos insaturados e carotenoides totais. Sendo assim, o óleo de buriti da região do Norte de Minas Gerais possui bom potencial para aplicação pela indústria de alimentos.

No abstract