Brazil nut: nutritional benefits from a unique combination of antioxidants

Abstract

Brazil nut is the seed of the Bertholletia excelsa tree, which grows naturally in the rainforests of South America. The production chain is environmentally sustainable as seeds are collected from the hard-shelled indehiscent fruits as they fall on the forest floor, without the need of deforestation. Brazil nut is among the most popular and commercially important tree nuts, and a reduced risk of coronary heart disease among other health benefits have been related to their consumption. A high content of both soluble and bound phenolic antioxidants, especially in the brown skin of the kernel, partly explains this positive health effect together with a high content of oleic acid and linoleic acid. The ω-3/ω-6 is less favorable, but the relatively high content of delta-tocopherol for a tree nut and the highest selenium (Se) level among all foods warrant other health benefits such as antioxidant activity and anticancer effects. Se levels in Brazil nuts vary strongly depending on origin, and recommendations for their safe consumption should be made and added in food labels in order to avoid selenosis.

The Production of High-Added-Value Bioproducts from Non-Conventional Biomasses: An Overview

“…Leandro et al [40] showed that Brazil nut waste can be used as flour to produce fibers, oligosaccharides, fertilizers, and energy. Sartori et al [41] showed that a combination of antioxidant compounds, such as flavonoids, tocopherols, selenium, oleic acid, and linoleic acid, and other compounds that have anti-inflammatory activities in humans are present in the nuts and their residues.…”

Vitamin C and Phenolic Antioxidants of Jua (Ziziphus joazeiro M.) Pulp: A Rich Underexplored Brazilian Source of Ellagic Acid Recovered by Aqueous Ultrasound-Assisted Extraction

“…Therefore, the high concentration of ellagic acid in jua pulp extracts may render a significant contribution to its bioactive properties, classifying jua as an alternate source for the recovery of ellagic acid. Other sources of ellagic acid include pecans [22], Brazil nuts [23], fennel seed [24], mango seed, longan seed, pomegranate peel, walnuts' skin, and other underutilized fruits such as Canarium odontophyllum, Dacryodes rostrata, Mangifera pajang, and Parkia speciosa [25][26][27][28].…”