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

Abstract

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 ω-6 to ω-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.

Peel and pulp of baru (Dipteryx Alata Vog.) provide high fiber, phenolic content and antioxidant capacity

“…Consequently, the baru almond has a lower energy value compared to other oilseeds, such as Brazil nut, cashew nut, hazelnut, pecan and pistachios . Besides, the lipids of the baru almond have a healthy fatty acid profile, with high unsaturated to saturated fatty acids ratio (5.4:1) (Alves et al, 2016). The carbohydrate content of the baru almond was higher than those reported in the literature (Fernandes et al, 2010;Sousa et al, 2011;Takemoto et al, 2001) ( Table 1).…”

Pequi Kernel oil extraction by hydraulic pressing and its characterization

“…The major fatty acids in pequi kernel oil were oleic (42.47%) and palmitic (39.49%), followed by linoleic acid (10.17%) (Table 6), which agrees with the results reported by Lima et al (2007) and Torres et al (2016). In addition to the benefits of consuming oils with high monounsaturated fatty acids content to prevent cardiovascular diseases (ALVES et al, 2016), some authors have reported antiinflammatory action related to the consumption of pequi kernel oil (TORRES et al, 2016), as well as its topical use (OLIVEIRA et al, 2010b).…”

Quantitative analysis of fatty acids in <em>Prosopis laevigata</em> flour

“…Mesquite is useful as a fuel wood, and ripe pods are avidly consumed by all ruminant species. The pods have been a historic source of food for human populations; traditionally, flour and dough are made with the dried or toasted pulp from ripe pods (Alves et al, 2016). The pods contain 7-22% protein, 30-75% carbohydrate, 11-35% crude fiber, 1-6% fat and 3-6% ash (Anttila et al, 1993;Galera et al, 1992;Oduol et al, 1986); although the polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) content is unknown.…”