IntroduçãoNa região Centro-Oeste, onde predomina o cerrado, ocorrem muitas espécies de frutas nativas consideradas fontes de proteínas, fibras, energia, vitaminas, cálcio, fósforo e ácidos graxos (SILVA et al., 1994;SANO;ALMEIDA, 1998; MARIN, 2006). Muitas frutas são comercializadas e consumidas in natura ou processadas em preparo caseiro, com grande aceitação popular (ALMEIDA, 1998). O aproveitamento tecnológico de espécies frutíferas nativas pode constituir uma preciosa fonte de alimentos e riqueza para o país.A bocaiúva é um fruto que pertence à família Palmae, sendo a espécie Acrocomia aculeata (Jacq.) Lodd. abundante e nativa no Estado do Mato Grosso do Sul. A polpa e a amên-doa na forma in natura são consumidas pela população local ou nas preparações da culinária regional, tais como sorvetes, bolos, paçoca doce e cocada, podendo enriquecer a dieta como fonte complementar de nutrientes essenciais (ALMEIDA, 1998;SANO;ALMEIDA, 1998).Frutas e vegetais são exemplos de importantes fontes de nutrientes essenciais, entre eles, encontram-se os minerais, que desempenham uma função vital no desenvolvimento e boa saúde do corpo humano. Os minerais são essenciais à manutenção de várias funções de importância fisiológica como na contratibilidade muscular, na função dos nervos, na coagulação sanguínea, nos processos digestivos e no equilíbrio ácido-básico (FRANCO, 2004;HARDISSON et al., 2001).Hortaliças e frutas também são consideradas fontes de carotenóides, os quais atuam não apenas como corantes naturais, mas como compostos bioativos com atuação benéfica à AbstractWith the aim at stimulating the consumption of natural food from the Brazilian Cerrado (vast tropical savanna ecoregion of Brazil), the contens of moisture, lipid, protein, carbohydrate, ash, fiber, minerals, and main carotenoids were determinated in the bocaiuva Acrocomia aculeata (Jacq.) Lodd. pulp. The edible portion of the fruit (pulp and kernel) corresponded to 50% of the whole fruit. The pulp presented 52.99% of moisture, 8.14% of total lipids, 1.5% of protein, 22.08% of carbohydrates, 1.51% of ash, and 13.76% of fiber. The energetic value was estimated to be 167.67 kcal.100 g -1 of wet pulp, which is higher than the other fruits from this region. Among the minerals examined, potassium was the element in higher concentrations (766.37 ± 18.36 mg.100 g ). The bocaiuva pulp may be classified as a rich source of copper for children, as a source of zinc and potassium for children, and as a source of copper and potassium for adults according to the dietary recommendation intake of those minerals. The bocaiuva pulp can be considered as rich in b-carotene (49.0 ± 2.0 mg.g -1 of integral pulp), the predominant carotenoid identified in the pulp, which can contribute to the enrichment of the regional diet, in supplementary diet programs, as a natural source of that nutrient as well as of vitamin A, copper, potassium and zinc minerals.

Baru (Dipteryx alata Vog.) is an abundant legume in the Brazilian Savanna. Its nuts can be exploited sustainably using its protein and lipid fractions. This study aimed to analyze the proteins of the nuts present in the defatted flour and protein concentrate in terms of their functional properties, the profile of their fractions, and the in vitro digestibility. The flour was defatted with hexane and extracted at the pH of higher protein solubility to obtain the protein concentrate. The electrophoretic profile of the protein fractions was evaluated in SDS-PAGE gel. The functional properties of the proteins indicate the possibility of their use in various foods, like soybeans providing water absorption capacity, oil absorption capacity, emulsifying properties, and foamability. Globulins, followed by the albumins, are the major fractions of the flour and protein concentrate, respectively. Digestibility was greater for the concentrate than for the defatted flour.

Considering that annatto seeds are rich in protein, the present work aimed to evaluate the biological quality of this nutrient in the meal residue originating from annatto seed processing. We determined the general composition, mineral levels, amino acid composition and chemical scores, antinutritional factors, and protein quality using biological assays. The following values were obtained: 11.50% protein, 6.74% moisture, 5.22% ash, 2.22% lipids, 42.19% total carbohydrates and 28.45% fiber. The residue proved to be a food rich in fiber and also a protein source. Antinutritional factors were not detected. The most abundant amino acids were lysine, phenylalanine + tyrosine, leucine and isoleucine. Valine was the most limiting amino acid (chemical score 0.22). The protein quality of the seed residue and the isolated protein showed no significant differences. The biological value was lower than that of the control protein but higher than that found in other vegetables. Among the biochemical analyses, only creatinine level was decreased in the two test groups compared to the control group. Enzyme tests did not indicate liver toxicity. The results showed favorable aspects for the use of annatto seed residue in the human diet, meriting further research.Keywords: biological value; protein quality; annatto.Practical Application: The evaluation of biological quality of the annatto seeds' protein showed favorable aspects for the use in the human diet.

Efetuou-se avaliação nutricional da proteína da amêndoa de bocaiúva, Acrocomia aculeata (Jacq.) Lodd., mediante determinação do Balanço Nitrogenado (BN), Digestibilidade Verdadeira (DV), Valor Biológico (VB), Razão de Eficiência Protéica (PER) e composição em aminoácidos. Realizou-se ensaio com 24 ratos machos Wistar, alimentados com as dietas controle (caseína), teste (farinha de amêndoa de bocaiúva) e aprotéica, todas preparadas de acordo com o protocolo do American Institute of Nutrition. As dietas controle e teste foram formuladas de maneira a serem isoprotéicas. Verificou-se durante 29 dias a quantidade de ração ingerida e o ganho de peso corporal dos animais, determinando-se o nitrogênio urinário e metabólico. A farinha desengordurada de amêndoa de bocaiúva apresentou alto teor de proteína (38,0%) e de fibra (45,3%). Ratos tratados com a dieta-teste apresentaram menor balanço nitrogenado (2,0), menor ganho de peso (42,8 g) e menor capacidade de promover a digestibilidade de proteínas (83,5%) que os tratados com caseína (respectivamente, 3,3; 55,5 g e 95,5%). Pelo perfil de aminoácidos da amostra, a treonina constitui o aminoácido essencial mais limitante (escore químico de 41,8%) em relação ao padrão da FAO/WHO, sendo encontrados teores elevados de valina, isoleucina, fenilalanina+tirosina, metionina+cisteína e lisina. A proteína da amêndoa da bocaiúva, embora com alto valor biológico (81,1%), apresentou qualidade nutricional mais baixa que a caseína padrão quanto aos outros índices avaliados. Conclui-se que é possível utilizar amêndoas de bocaiúva para suplementar dietas, especialmente quando adotadas formas de preparo que melhorem sua digestibilidade.

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Calcium ions (Ca) play an important role in many biochemical processes, delaying senescence and controlling physiological disorders in fruits and vegetables. The objective of this experiment was to analyze the effect of increasing calcium concentrations in snap beans. Snap bean cultivar UEL 1 was sown in sand containing 80 mg L -1 of calcium supplemented with nutrient solution, plus calcium at different contents: 0, 75, 150 and 300 mg L -1 . Ca was mainly recovered in the shoots, followed by roots and pods. Calcium concentrations in the pods were 130, 259, 349 and 515 mg 100 g -1 dry matter on a dry weight basis, in relation to the enhancement of calcium contents in the nutrient solution, respectively. A negative relationship between nitrogen content in the pods and calcium concentration in the nutrient solution was observed. Pods from plants grown in a solution without Ca presented necrosis in their apical region. Dieback of roots, shoots and young leaves also occurred under low calcium supply. Dry matter of pods, roots and shoots, number of pods per plant, pod weight and pod length increased proportionally to calcium concentration in solution. Increasing rates of calcium improved biomass production in snap bean cultivar UEL 1. Key words: Phaseolus vulgaris L., biomass production, pod, nutrient solution, nitrogen DOSES DE CÁLCIO, RENDIMENTO E QUALIDADE DE FEIJÃO VAGEMRESUMO: Os íons cálcio apresentam importante papel em muitos processos bioquímicos, retardando a senescência e controlando desordens fisiológicas em frutas e hortaliças. O objetivo deste experimento foi analisar o efeito de concentrações crescentes de cálcio em feijão vagem. A cultivar UEL 1 foi semeada em areia grossa contendo 80 mg L -1 de cálcio suplementada com solução nutritiva, acrescida dos seguintes teores de cálcio 0, 75, 150 e 300 mg L -1 . A maior concentração de cálcio foi observada na parte aérea (ramos + folhas), seguida das raízes e, por fim, as vagens. A quantidade de cálcio nas vagens foi de 130, 259, 349 e 515 mg 100 g -1 matéria seca, respectivamente da menor para a maior dose de cálcio aplicada. Observou-se relação negativa entre a concentração de nitrogênio nas vagens e o teor total absorvido em função do aumento na quantidade de cálcio da solução nutritiva. Plantas cultivadas em solução nutritiva isenta de cálcio, apresentaram necrose da porção apical das vagens e morte apical de raízes, ramos e folhas jovens. A quantidade de matéria seca de vagens, raízes e parte aérea, número de vagens por planta, massa de vagens e comprimento de vagens aumentou proporcionalmente à maior disponibilidade de cálcio na solução nutritiva aplicada. O cultivo em maiores doses de cálcio proporcionou aumento da biomassa produzida pelas plantas de feijão vagem cv. UEL 1. Palavras-chave: Phaseolus vulgaris L., produção de biomassa, vagens, solução nutritiva, nitrogênio

Introduction: Fat tissue accumulation provokes several metabolic disorders, which may be attenuated by dietetic modulation and physical exercise. Objective: The effects of hypercaloric/hyperlipidic diets with additional baru extract associated to aerobic exercise on adipocytes from different regions as well as on hepatic triglycerides (TGL hep )of Wistar rats were evaluated. Methods: The animals, except for the control ones (Nuvilab ® diet: 3.48kcal/g), were fed with a chocolate-based diet (4.17 kcal/g) during 2 months in order to induce obesity. The animals were then distributed into 6 groups, according to the introduction of baru extract diet as well as to swimming training: Sedentary Control (SC); Trained Control (TC); Sedentary Baru (SB); Trained Baru (TB); Sedentary Chocolate (SCho) and Trained Chocolate (TCho). The trained animals were subjected to swimming exercise supporting overload equivalent to 2% of body weight, during 8 weeks, 5x/week, and 1h/day. At the end, the animals were killed and the TGL hep content was determined. The retroperitoneal (RET), inguinal (IN), and omental (OM) fat tissues were excised, weighted, and submitted to adipocyte area evaluation. Results:The hypercaloric diet increased both body weight and cell areas of RET if compared to the control diet (P<0.05). The physical training decreased the OM (TCho: 6370.91 ± 7776.13 < SCho: 7341.28 ± 2.24 µm2) and IN (TCho: 5147.49 ± 5712.71 < SCho: 7083.11±7682.40 µm2) cell areas of chocolate group as well as IN cell areas of TC

The impact of alimentation on life’s quality have encouraged the search for alternative foods with better quality and use of native fruits with technological and nutritional potentials contributes to the development of new products. Thus, the aim of this study was to develop a fermented flavored drink, potentially probiotic, based on the water-soluble extract of baru almond, perform sensory evaluation, determine its chemical composition and monitor the shelf life. The extract was fermented by a culture containing Streptococcus thermophilus, Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidobacterium. After fermentation, thickeners, sucrose and plum pulp were added, these latter two in accordance to the proposed factorial design that resulted seven assays. These formulations were subjected to sensorial analysis, which included the acceptance test and purchase intention. The optimized formulation had its physical-chemical and nutritional characteristics evaluated trough the determination of chemical and mineral composition, viability of the probiotic bacteria and the acidity and pH parameters were evaluated during the twenty-eight storage days. Formulations obtained high rates of acceptability and purchase intention and the optimized formulation achieved good nutritional characteristics, being a food with high manganese content and a source of magnesium and phosphorus. During the storage, the pH and acidity values varied and probiotic microorganism count increased. Probiotic potential of fermented drink can be justified by presence of both microorganisms and by the verified counting obtained since the seventh storage day of the product.