Bocaiuva (Acrocomia aculeata (Jacq.) Lodd) Improved Vitamin A Status in Rats

Abstract

Carotenoid bioavailability is influenced by various factors including the food matrix. The release of those molecules from the food matrix is the initial and most important step in the absorption process. The relative bioavailability of bocaiuva pulp beta-carotene in relation to pure beta-carotene was assayed by a hepatic retinol store, in vitamin A deficient Wistar rats. After the depletion period, the vitamin A deficient rats were separated into two groups and fed an AIN-93G modified diet, which contained 14 400 microg of pure beta-carotene (beta-carotene diet) or 13 475 microg of beta-carotene from 275 g of bocaiuva pulp (bocaiuva diet) per 1 kg of the diet as a vitamin A source. Both experimental diets resulted in similar body weight gains. The bioavailability, estimated as Retinol Accumulation Factor, was 7.3 and 3.5 for the beta-carotene and the Bocaiuva group, respectively. These results show that in spite of the matrix of the bocaiuva pulp, the beta-carotene bioavailability from this fruit was higher than the pure beta-carotene.

Optical Analysis of the Oils Obtained from Acrocomia aculeata (Jacq.) Lodd: Mapping Absorption-Emission Profiles in an Induced Oxidation Process

“…In fact, two fatty acids (oleic and palmitic acids) were the main compounds present in the pulp oil, representing 91% of the fatty acid composition. In turn, lauric acid (50%), oleic acid (17%), myristic (10.4%), and palmitic acid (6%) were the main fatty acid compounds in the kernel oil, as similarly reported elsewhere [3,4,6]. The physicochemical features of the kernel and pulp oils of A. aculeata are presented in Table 2.…”

“…This palm tree is an example of candidate crop that can be used as an alternative feedstock to obtain new nutritional resources. In addition, the fruits of Acrocomia aculeata are rich in oils, which have also gained attention due to their potential for use in the cosmetic, pharmaceutical, and energy industry [3][4][5][6][7][8]. The high oil productivity is also well observed, with a yield of approx.…”

Stability of Bioactive Compounds and Quality Parameters of Grugru Palm Powder (Acrocomia Aculeata) in Different Drying Conditions

“…Figure 3 shows the stability of β-carotene content in the grugru palm powder. According to Ramos et al (2007), the grugru palm β-carotene is highly bioavailable compared with pure β-carotene, with a value for this nutrient in the grugru palm of 49.0 μg/g. β-carotene in the plant kingdom is present in vegetables with dark-green leaves and in yellow to red fruits (Uenojo et al 2007;Tang et al 2009).…”

Fatty acids and bioactive compounds of the pulps and kernels of Brazilian palm species, guariroba (Syagrus oleraces), jerivá (Syagrus romanzoffiana) and macaúba (Acrocomia aculeata)

“…Ramos et al 8 analyzed the composition of carotenoids in Acrocomia aculeata (macaúba or bocaiúva). The β‐carotene content was 49 mg g −1 , representing 82% of the total carotenoids.…”