Assessment of chemical and bioactive properties of native fruits from the Brazilian Cerrado
ISSN: 0034-6659
Article publication date: 31 October 2018
Issue publication date: 9 May 2019
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study was to evaluate six different fruits from the Cerrado as to their chemical and bioactive properties.
Design/methodology/approach
Six different fruits from the Cerrado (araticum, baru, jatoba-do-cerrado, lobeira, macauba and pequi) were characterized regarding moisture, ash, lipids, proteins, carbohydrates, carotenoids, chlorophyll, ascorbic acid, flavonoids, phenolic compounds and their antioxidant activities.
Findings
The highest flavonoid content, which was found in araticum pulp, was significantly different from the ones of other fruit pulps. The carotenoid content of pequi pulp was 12-fold the one of lobeira pulp. The vitamin C content of baru pulp was five-fold the Reference Daily Intake (RDI). In relation to the antioxidant activity, araticum (5.7 µM/g) and jatoba (5.2 µM/g) pulps exhibited the highest values (p < 0.01). Both baru and araticum pulps were capable of capturing the radical with mean percentage of discoloration of 68.7 and 67.4%, respectively (p < 0.01).
Originality/value
Native fruits of the Cerrado have been poorly described in the literature, even though they are highly consumed in the region. Publicizing their nutritional characteristics can increase the commercial value of these fruits, which have been traditionally devalued. In addition, knowledge of new sources of nutrients contributes to their use by pharmaceutical and food industries.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The authors are thankful to CNPq (Process 426479/2016-5) and IF Goiano for their financial support (A. B. Almeida).
Conflict of interest: The authors declare no conflict of interests.
Authors’ contributions: Mayra Conceição Peixoto Martins Lima, Fabiano Guimarães Silva and Mariana Buranelo Egea supervised this study.
Adrielle Borges de Almeida, Anna Karoline Carmo Silva and Ariadne Ribeiro Lodete conducted all experimental work. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.
Citation
Almeida, A.B.d., Silva, A.K.C., Lodete, A.R., Egea, M.B., Lima, M.C.P.M. and Silva, F.G. (2019), "Assessment of chemical and bioactive properties of native fruits from the Brazilian Cerrado", Nutrition & Food Science, Vol. 49 No. 3, pp. 381-392. https://doi.org/10.1108/NFS-07-2018-0199
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2018, Emerald Publishing Limited