Agroindustrial valorization of the pulp and peel, seed, flour, and oil of moriche (Mauritia flexuosa) from the Bita River, Colombia: a potential source of essential fatty acids

Abstract

The expansion of the agricultural frontier in the eastern llanos region of Colombia has endangered the moriche palm ( Mauritia flexuosa ) which has an important ecological function and provides various ecosystem services. In particular, the moriche that grows in this region is wild and has been little studied; therefore, there are no reports of its potential as a source of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids, information that could be useful for the conservation of the species. This study performed a physicochemical characterization of the oil extracted from the dried pulp of moriche and identified the fatty acids present in the oil, pulp and peel, seed, and flour of this fruit from the Bita River Basin, Vichada, Colombia. The fatty acid composition was characterized by gas chromatography, including physicochemical tests of interest in the oil according to AOCS protocols. The results showed that the highest fatty acid content was found in the extracted oil, with a distribution of 81.64% unsaturated fat and 18.36% saturated fat. These fats included 79.20% oleic acid (omega-9), 0.26% palmitoleic acid (omega-7), 1.01% linoleic acid (omega-6), 1% linolenic acid (omega-3), 16.91% palmitic acid, and 1.33% stearic acid. We conclude that moriche from Bita Basin is an oleaginous fruit due to its high nutritional value in terms of unsaturated fatty acids and that both the flour and the oil obtained are bioproducts with potential industrial application.

Edible Fruits from the Ecuadorian Amazon: Ethnobotany, Physicochemical Characteristics, and Bioactive Components

“…As a result, it can be classified as a functional food [21]. This species has a broad distribution in South America, primarily in the Amazon region, spanning across Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, Trinidad and Tobago, and Venezuela [75]. It can be in various habitats, ranging from lowland tropical forests to open savannah landscapes, floodplains, and springs [76].…”

Aerial Identification of Fruit Maturity in Amazonian Palms via Plant-Canopy Modeling

“…The Moriche palm (Mauritia Flexuosa) species is found in tropical moist forest ecosystems (in northern South America) and produces palm fruits rich in proteins, fats, vitamins and carbohydrates [1][2][3]. For the department of Guaviare and other regions of the Colombian Amazon, the oil extracted from the Moriche fruits plays a significant role in local economies [4][5][6]. The palm is also fundamental for the conservation of the Amazonian biome, regulating the neotropical wetlands of the rain forest [7].…”

Aerial Identification of Fruit Maturity in Amazonian Palms via Plant-Canopy Modeling

“…The Moriche palm (Mauritia Flexuosa) is a specie of the tropical moist forest, rich in proteins, fats, vitamins and carbohydrates [1][2][3]. The oil extracted from the Moriche fruits plays a significant role in the local economy [4][5][6]. Furthermore, the palm is also fundamental for the conservation of the Amazonian ecosystem, by regulating the neotropics wetlands of the forest [7].…”