Nutritional and chemical characterizations of fruits obtained from Syagrus romanzoffiana, Attalea dubia, Attalea phalerata and mauritia flexuosa

Diet-induced changes in metabolism influence immune response and viral shedding in Jamaican fruit bats

Land-use change may drive viral spillover from bats into humans, partly through dietary shifts caused by decreased availability of native foods and increased availability of cultivated foods. We experimentally manipulated diets of Jamaican fruit bats to investigate whether diet influences viral shedding. To reflect dietary changes experienced by wild bats during periods of nutritional stress, Jamaican fruit bats were fed either a standard diet or a putative suboptimal diet, which was deprived of protein (suboptimal-sugar diet) and/or supplemented with fat (suboptimal-fat diet). Upon H18N11 influenza A-virus infection, bats fed on the suboptimal-sugar diet shed the most viral RNA for the longest period, but bats fed the suboptimal-fat diet shed the least viral RNA for the shortest period. Bats on both suboptimal diets ate more food than the standard diet, suggesting nutritional changes may alter foraging behaviour. This study serves as an initial step in understanding whether and how dietary shifts may influence viral dynamics in bats, which alters the risk of spillover to humans.

Bioactive Compound Profiling and Antioxidant Activity of Phytelephas tenuicaulis and Other Amazonian Fruits

The Amazon region is home to many plant species, many of which have not been studied. The objective was to evaluate the physicochemical properties, bioactive compounds, and antioxidant activity of Phytelephas tenuicalis (tintiuk), Grias neuberthii (apai), Euterpe oleracea (acai), and Mauritia flexuosa (brown moriche). Physicochemical analyses were carried out on fresh fruit from local markets. Bioactive compounds (carotenoids, phenolics, vitamin C, and organic acids) were quantified in the freeze-dried pulp by rapid-resolution liquid chromatography (RRLC), and antioxidant activity was determined by ABTS and DPPH assays. The results showed high soluble solids (10.7 °Brix) and ascorbic acid (67.3 mg/100 g DW) in tintiuk; β-carotene (63.4 mg/100 g DW) and malic acid (19.6 g/100 g DW) in brown moriche; quercetin (944.2 mg/100 g DW) and antioxidant activity by ABTS (6.7 mmol ET/100 g DW) in apai; and citric acid (2.1 g/100 g DW) in acai. These results indicate interesting bioactive properties that could increase the consumption of these fruits nationally and internationally, benefiting local farmers and stimulating the development of new products in functional food, medicine, and cosmetics.

Bioactive Compounds and Antioxidant Capacity of Pulp, Peel and Seeds from Jeriva (Syagrus romanzoffiana)

Jeriva (Syagrus romanzoffiana) is a fruit from palm trees of the Arecaceae family, widely distributed in tropical and subtropical areas of Latin America. It has low production costs and high productivity throughout the year; however, its consumption is very low, and the production goes almost entirely to feed animals or to waste. To improve its consumption, a good characterization of the whole fruit is necessary. The objective of this work was to evaluate the jeriva pulp, peel and seeds according to carotenoids, phenolic compounds, vitamin C, tocopherols and antioxidant potential using HPLC, microplate readers and spectrophotometric methods. Every part of the fruit exhibited antioxidant capacity in the ORAC and TEAC tests, which can be attributed to its high concentration of polyphenols. Carotenoids were more present in the pulp and peel and almost absent in the seeds. Vitamin C ranged from 12 ± 1 for the seeds up to 92 ± 3 mg/100 g for the pulp. The total phenolic content was quantified between 473 ± 39 for the seeds and 1089 ± 32 mg of gallic acid equivalents (GAEs)/100 g for the pulp. These results demonstrate that all parts of this fruit have important bioactive nutrients, with promising perspectives for further scientific approaches and for composing formulations of food products to enhance functional properties.

Three Amazonian palms as underestimated and little-known sources of nutrients, bioactive compounds and edible insects

Mauritia flexuosa, Bactris gasipaes, and Oenocarpus bataua are among the main palms in the Amazon used for food and medicinal purposes. The food most commonly derived from these are fruits, oil, and the larvae of the insect Rhynchophorus palmarum reared in their trunks. Palm fruits are used for oil extraction as they are rich in saturated fatty acids, fiber, pro-vitamin A, carotenoids, tocopherols, macro and microelements, and polyphenols. Furthermore, the larvae of R. palmarum are rich in lipids, vitamin E, and proteins. This review analyzes the chemical composition of the fruit and oil of these palm species, as well as the R. palmarum larvae that breed in them. Our aim is to present information that is not widely known in order to demonstrate the potential of these palms as sources of plant-based and animal food with high nutritional and functional values.

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

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.

Thermal and chemical characterization of fractions from Syagrus romanzoffiana kernel oil

The Jerivá (Syagrus romanzoffiana) kernel oil (JKO) has a pleasant coconut-like smell, with about 33% lauric acid and 28% oleic acid. The oil also contains bioactive compounds, such as phenolics, carotenoids, and tocopherols. JKO has a solid consistency at low temperatures, but has a low melting point and low solid content at room temperature. Thus, this work aimed to evaluate the thermal properties related to crystallization and fusion, as well as the chemical and oxidative characteristics of JKO fractions, olein and stearin, obtained from dry and solvent fractionation. In general, stearins had higher crystallization and melting temperatures, and higher solid fat content, unlike oleins, which may be associated with the concentration of high melting triglycerides in the stearins. No statistically significant difference was found for fatty acid profile or oxidative stability of the fractions. The type of fractionation influenced the chemical and thermal properties of JKO fractions. The solvent process promoted the most relevant differentiation of fractions. An olein was obtained with 7% less solid fat at 25 °C which remained visually liquid at 2 °C below the oil, as well as a stearin with 17% more solid fat at 25 °C which remained visually solid at 3 °C above the oil.

Brazilian fruits of Arecaceae family: An overview of some representatives with promising food, therapeutic and industrial applications

The Arecaceae family is widely distributed and comprises about 2600 species, in which 48 of them are native to Brazil and occurs in transition biomes between the Amazon, Cerrado and Caatinga. In addition to being used as a source of food and subsistence, they are also rich in lipophilic bioactive compounds, mainly carotenoids, polyunsaturated fatty acids, tocopherols and vitamin A. Moreover, they have considerable content of phenolic compounds, fibers and minerals. Therefore, the objective of this review is to present the physical-chemical and nutritional aspects, the main bioactive compounds, the biological properties and the innovative potential of four Brazilian palm-tree fruits of the Arecaceae family. Due to the presence of bioactive compounds, these fruits have the potential to promote health and can be used to prevent chronic non-communicable diseases, such as obesity, type 2 diabetes and others. Furthermore, these raw materials and their by-products can be used in the development of new food, chemical, pharmaceutical and cosmetic products. To ensure better use of these crops, promote their commercial value, benefit family farming and contribute to the country's sustainable development, it is necessary to implement new cultivation, post-harvest and processing techniques. Investing in research to publicize their potential is equally important, mainly of the ones still little explored, such as the buritirana.

Prebiotic potential of pulp and kernel cake from Jerivá (Syagrus romanzoffiana) and Macaúba palm fruits (Acrocomia aculeata)

The jerivá (Syagrus romanzoffiana) and the macaúba (Acrocomia aculeata) are palm trees of the Arecaceae family, widely distributed in tropical and subtropical areas of Latin America, which have a low production cost and high productivity throughout the year. Due to the high content of lipids, their fruits have been used for oil extraction, which generates byproducts such as the pulps and the kernel cakes, a nutritionally rich byproduct that can be added into human food and, may have prebiotic potential. Therefore, the objective of this work was to characterize and evaluate the prebiotic potential of jerivá pulp (JP), macaúba pulp (MP), jerivá kernel cake (JC) and macaúba kernel cake (MC). For this, the fruits characterization was carried out through proximate composition, phenolic compounds content, and antioxidant activity, besides evaluating the antimicrobial and fermentative capacity of Bifidobacterium lactis, Lactobacillus casei, and Lactobacillus acidophilus against Escherichia coli. Jerivá and macaúba pulps and kernel cakes presented high levels of dietary fiber (20.45% JP, 37.87% JC, 19.95% MP and 35.81% MC) and high antioxidant activity, especially JP, which also showed the high values found for ABTS and DPPH (2498.49 µMTrolox·g^-1 fruit and 96.97 g fruit·g^-1 DPPH, respectively), has a high total phenolic content (850.62 mg GAE·100 g^-1). Also, JP promoted a better growth of probiotic strains and a more relevant pH reduction when compared to the commercial prebiotic FOS. However, MP, JC, and MC were also able to favor the growth of the strains. Probiotic microorganisms were able to use JP, MP, JC, and MC and produced short-chain fatty acids such as lactic, propionic, butyric, and acetic acid, capable of promoting health benefits. Therefore, the byproducts from jerivá and macaúba oil extraction have characteristics that indicate their prebiotic potential, and maybe interesting components to increase the nutritional value of foods.

Effect of process variables on the yield and quality of jerivá (

The fruit from jerivá (Syagrus romanzoffiana) has a kernel which is rich in oil, and has a pleasant smell that reminds one of coconut. It is rich in monounsaturated and saturated fatty acids, in addition to bioactive compounds. In this work, the effect of process variables on the yield and quality of jerivá kernel oil from aqueous extraction was evaluated using response surface methodology. The variables pH, time and temperature influenced the yield and the quality of the oil. High pH and time, along with mild temperature were suitable conditions to extract jerivá kernel oil by aqueous extraction, but excessively high pH, temperature and time negatively impacted the oil’s quality. pH was the only variable that significantly influenced free acidity, with a decrease in free acidity with the increase in pH. On the other hand, the increase in pH, time and temperature increased the peroxide value, which limited some conditions for obtaining jerivá kernel oil by aqueous extraction. The optimal conditions were found to be an extraction at pH 12, 25 °C and 60 minutes, which resulted in a yield of 39%, free acidity of 0.2% and a peroxide value of 5.8 meqO2·kg-1. Aqueous extraction yielded more unsaturated oil than that extracted with hexane, in addition to a higher proportion of caproic, oleic and linoleic acids, thus improving its nutritional characteristics and health benefits, despite decreasing its oxidative stability.

Partial least squares modelization of energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence

As a proof of concept, a green methodology has been developed for the energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence (ED-XRF) determination of calcium, potassium, iron, magnesium, aluminum, chromium, strontium, phosphorus and nickel in the peel of untreated kaki fruit (Diospyros kaki. L) samples. ED-XRF spectra of fifty-six kakis purchased in the local area of LLombay (Valencia) were obtained directly from samples without any previous treatment and without sample damage just after cleaning the fruit with distilled water. Inductively Couple Plasma Optical Emission Spectrometry (ICP-OES) was used as a reference method to determine the mineral elements after microwave assisted acid digestion. XRF spectra and concentration values obtained by ICP-OES were processed using partial least squares (PLS) data treatment to build the corresponding chemometric models for prediction of mineral profile of samples. PLS-ED-XRF permits a direct and accurate determination of Ca and K in kaki peel. For Al, Fe, Mg, Ni and Sr screening semiquantitative results were obtained. Concentrations obtained directly by the internal calibration of instrument, using GeoChem Trace model, were also compared with data predicted by chemometric models being found that PLS models must replace the calibration of the instrument for thus kind of analysis.