Oilseeds native to the Cerrado have fatty acid profile beneficial for cardiovascular health

卷:29

Alves, Aline Medeiros ; Fernandes, Daniela Canuto ; Borges, Jullyana Freitas ; de Oliveira Sousa, Amanda Goulart ; Veloso Naves, Maria Margareth

Univ Fed Goias

关键词: Anacardium;    Arachis hypogaea;    Bertholletia excels;    Caryocar brasiliense Camb;    Dipteryx alata Vog;   

DOI  :  10.1590/1678-98652016000600010

学科分类：食品科学和技术

【 摘 要 】

Objective To assess and compare the fatty acid composition of edible seeds and a nut native to the Cerrado (Brazilian savannah) to that of traditional oilseeds. Methods Baru almonds, Cerrado cashew nuts, and pequi almonds were extracted from the fruits using appropriate equipment. All edible seeds and nuts were roasted, except for the Brazil nut. The sample lipids were extracted via cold pressing. The fatty acids were esterified, and the fatty acid esters were analyzed by gas chromatography. Results The native and traditional edible seeds and nuts contain mostly monounsaturated fatty acids (42.72 g to 63.44 g/100 g), except for the Brazil nut, which showed predominance of polyunsaturated fatty acids (45.48 g/100 g). Pequi almond had the highest saturated fatty acid content (36.14 g/100 g). The fatty acids with the highest concentration were oleic and linoleic acids, and palmitic acid was also found in considerable concentration in the oilseeds studied. The Cerrado cashew nut and the traditional cashew nut have similar fatty acid profiles. As for the ratio of omega-6 to omega-3, the baru almond showed the highest ratio, 9: 1, which was the closest to the recommended intake of these fatty acids. Conclusion The fatty acid profile of the edible seeds and nuts native to the cerrado is similar to those of traditional oilseeds. We suggest the inclusion of native oilseeds in the diet aiming at reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease, especially the baru almond and the cerrado cashew nut, due to the fact they have high ratio of monounsaturated fatty acids to saturated fatty acids.