Elemental contents in exotic Brazilian tropical fruits evaluated by energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence

Abstract

The exotic flavor of Brazilian tropical fruits led to increased consumption. Consumers awareness regarding balanced diets, makes necessary determining nutritional composition - vitamins and minerals of the fruits ordinarily consumed. This study contributed to the evaluation of macro (K, Ca) and microelements (Mn, Fe, Cu, Zn and Br) in eight exotic Brazilian tropical fruits: "abiu" (Lucuma caimito Ruiz & Pav.), "jenipapo" (Genipa americana L.), "jambo rosa" (rose apple, Eugenia Jambos L.), "jambo vermelho" (Syzygium malaccence L., Merr & Perry), "macaúba" (Acrocomia aculeata Jacq. Lood. Ex Mart.), "mangaba" (Hancornia speciosa), "pitanga" (Brazilian Cherry, Eugenia uniflora L.), and tamarind (Tamarindus indica L.), using the Energy Dispersive X-Ray Fluorescence (EDXRF) technique. "jambo vermelho" and "macaúba" presented the highest values of K concentrations, 1,558 and 1,725 mg 100 g-1, respectively. On the other hand, Ca concentrations were highest in "macaúba" (680 mg 100 g-1) and "jenipapo" (341 mg 100 g-1). The microelemental concentrations in these eight fruits ranged from: 0.9 to 2.0 mg 100 g-1 for Mn, 3.9 to 11.4 mg 100 g-1 for Fe, 0.5 to 1.0 mg 100 g-1 for Cu, 0.6 to 1.5 mg 100 g-1 for, Zn and 0.3 to 1.3 mg 100 g-1 for Br. The amounts of macro and microelements in the eight fruits analyzed were compared to other tropical fruits and it was found that some of them could be classified as rich sources for these macro and microelements.

Comparison of the physicochemical profiles of buriti from the Brazilian Cerrado and the Amazon region

“…Its fruit, the buriti, has an especial color, flavor and aroma, being greatly appreciated by regional communities located in areas of high production (Darnet et al, 2011). However, trade in native fruits in Brazil has been expanding to metropolitan areas, due to the demand for natural foods with possible beneficial health effects (Dliveira et al, 2006).…”

Simple procedure for nutrient analysis of coffee plant with energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (EDXRF)

“…XRF has been successfully applied in studies on the elemental composition of plants (Chuparina and Gunicheva, 2003;Marguí et al, 2009), soil contamination (Orescanin et al, 2003;Aslan et al, 2004;Marguí et al, 2005;Necemer et al, 2008) and agriculture (Noda et al, 2006;Oliveira et al, 2006;Gratão et al, 2008;Maity et al, 2010), which most of them applied pressed powder pellet to perform EDXRF analysis.…”

Phenolic Compounds, Carotenoids, Tocopherols and Fatty Acids Present in Oils Extracted From Palm Fruits

“…The kernel oil showed mainly oleic, lauric and palmitic acid. A previous study by Oliveira et al (2006) showed that the macaúba palm fruit is rich in minerals, presenting in its composition 1.725 mg/100 g of potassium, 680 mg/100 g calcium, 2 mg/100 g of manganese, 10.1 mg/100 g iron and 1.5 mg/100 g of zinc.…”