Fatty acids profile of pulp and nuts of Brazilian fruits

Abstract

ResumoFrutas e castanhas das regiões Norte e Nordeste do Brasil foram coletadas para determinação da composição em ácidos graxos do óleo da polpa e da castanha. As espécies estudadas foram castanha-do-pará (Bertholletia excelsa H.B.K.), mucajá (Coumarigida M.), inajá (Maximilianamaripa D.), jenipapo (Genipa Americana L.) e buriti (Mauritia flexuosa L.). Os ésteres metílicos de ácidos graxos foram analisados por cromatografia gasosa com detector por ionização em chama (GC-FID). O ácido graxo majoritário da castanha-do-pará foi o 18:3n-3 (ácido α-linolênico). A castanha do buriti apresentou aproximadamente 23 vezes mais 18:3n-3 do que a polpa. A castanha do mucajá apresentou elevados teores de 12:0 (ácido láurico) e 16:0 (ácido palmítico), enquanto a polpa do mucajá mostrou níveis significativos de 18:2n-6 (ácido linoleico). Considerando o somatório de ácidos graxos poli-insaturados (PUFA), quase todas as frutas e castanhas analisadas apresentaram níveis bastante altos destes compostos. No que se refere à razão n-6/n-3, apenas a castanha-do-pará, a castanha de buriti, a polpa de inajá e a polpa de jenipapo corresponderam ao perfil desejado. Estas frutas e castanhas brasileiras podem ser de potencial interesse devido ao seu elevado valor nutritivo e teor de lipídios. Palavras-chave: Bertholletia excelsa H.B.K.; Couma rigida M.; Maximiliana maripa D.; Genipa Americana L.; Mauritia flexuosa L.; ácidos graxos; GC-FID. AbstractFruits and nuts from the North and Northeast regions of Brazil were collected to determine the fatty acid profile of their oils. The species studied were Brazil (Bertholletia excelsa H.B.K.), Mucajá (Couma rigida M.), Inajá (Maximiliana maripa D.), Jenipapo (Genipa Americana L.), and Buriti (Mauritia flexuosa L.) nuts. Fatty acid methyl esters were analyzed by gas chromatography with flame ionization detection (GC-FID). Brazil nut major fatty acid was 18:3n-3 (α-linolenic acid), and Buriti nut had approximately 23 times more 18:3n-3 than the pulp. Mucajá nut presented high content of 12:0 (lauric acid) and 16:0 (palmitic acid), and Mucajá pulp showed significant levels of 18:2n-6 (linoleic acid). Considering the PUFA (polyunsaturated fatty acid) sum values, almost all fruits and nuts analyzed presented very high levels of these compounds. Regarding n-6/n-3 ratio, only Brazil Nut, Buriti Nut, Inajá pulp, and Jenipapo pulp corresponded to the desired profile. These Brazilian fruits and nuts could be of potential interest due to their high nutritive value and lipid content.

Comparison of the physicochemical profiles of buriti from the Brazilian Cerrado and the Amazon region

“…The Amazon buriti presented the lowest saturated fatty acid contents. These values were lower than the ones reported by Costa et al (2011) in the study of fatty acid contents of Brazilian nuts and fruit pulps and seeds. Dn the other hand, they presented the highest contents of monounsaturated fatty acids, similar to what has been reported in the literature (76.0 g/100 g), for fruits from the same region (Darnet et al, 2011).…”

Research Article Genetic diversity in native <i>Genipa</i> <i>americana</i> (Rubiaceae) populations in Sergipe, Brazil

“…In folk medicine, leaves, bark, fruits and roots are employed, usually in the form of teas; in addition to medicinal use, it has food, dyeing and ornamental purposes (Souza et al, 2013). The usefulness of this species is a function of its chemical composition, mainly composed of iridoids such as genipin and geniposide (Alves et al, 2017), steroids (Conceição et al, 2011), fatty acids (Costa et al, 2011) and tannins (Moura et al, 2016).…”

Fatty acid profile and physicochemical characterization of buriti oil during storage

“…Among unsaturated fatty acids in buriti oil, oleic acid (C18: 1ω9C) is reported in large quantities (SILVA et al, 2009;COSTA et al, 2011;AQUINO et al, 2012;FREITAS et al, 2017). SILVA et al (2009) found that triacylglycerols account for 91.9 % of constituents present in buriti oil, whereas free fatty acids constituted just 3.1 %.…”