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

• Autor(a) principal: Medeiros ALVES, Aline
• Data de Publicação: 2023
• Outros Autores: Canuto FERNANDES , Daniela, Freitas BORGES, Jullyana, Veloso NAVES, Maria Margareth
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: eng
• Título da fonte: Revista de Nutrição
• Texto Completo: https://periodicos.puc-campinas.edu.br/nutricao/article/view/8147
• topic: Anacardium; Arachis hypogaea; Bertholletia excels; Caryocar brasiliense Camb; Dipteryx alata Vog; Anacardium; Arachis hypogaea; Bertholletia excels; Caryocar brasiliense Camb; Dipteryx alata Vog

ObjectiveTo assess and compare the fatty acid composition of edible seeds and a nut native to the Cerrado (Brazilian savannah) to that of traditional oilseeds. MethodsBaru 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. ResultsThe 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. Asfor the ratio of ω-6 to ω-3, the baru almond showed the highest ratio, 9:1, which was the closest to therecommended intake of these fatty acids. ConclusionThe 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.