Integrative review on the content of fatty acids, carotenoids and flavonoids of the Arecaceae of the Cerrado

Abstract

The Cerrado, the world's most biodiverse tropical savanna, has had 25% of its native vegetation devastated in recent years. The family Arecaceae, commonly known as palm trees, is one of the ethnobotanical families present in this biome. They are well known for their fruits with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and hypocholesterolemic characteristics. It is estimated that there are about 6,000 species of plants in the Cerrado, but only 30% of them are fully known as to their benefits and potentials. Therefore, the objective of this study is to perform an integrative review on the content of fatty acids, flavonoids and carotenoids of the main fruits of the Cerrado palms: Licuri (Syagrus coronata), guariroba (Syagrus oleracea), buriti (Mauritia flexuosa), buritirana (Mauritiella armata), macaúba (Acrocomia aculeata), butiá (Butia odorata) e coquinho-azedo (Butia capitata). From the search strategies, the databases Science Direct, Google Scholar and CAPES Journals were used. Only articles published between 2019 and 2023 that answered the guiding question were considered. The main carotenoid identified was β-carotene, and the main flavonoids found were: catechin, rutin and quercetin. Several fruits presented saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acid contents Therefore, the presence of these compounds indicates the potential use of the fruits of the Cerrado palm trees, with promising application in the industry.