Oilseeds native to the Cerrado have fatty acid profile beneficial for cardiovascular health/Oleaginosas nativas do Cerrado apresentam perfis de acidos graxos favoraveis a saude cardiovascular

• Published in: Revista de nutrição 2016-11, Vol.29 (6), p.859
• Main Authors: Alves, Aline Medeiros, Fernandes, Daniela Canuto, Borges, Jullyana Freitas, Sousa, Amanda Goulart De Oliveira, Naves, Maria Margareth Veloso
• Format: Article
• Language: Portuguese
• ISSN: 1415-5273
• DOI: 10.1590/1678-98652016000600010

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. 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. The native and traditional edible seeds and nuts contain mostly monounsaturated fatty acids (42.72 g to 63.44g/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 [omega]-6 to [omega]-3, the baru almond showed the highest ratio, 9:1, which was the closest to the recommended intake of these fatty acids. 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. Avaliar a composição de nozes e sementes comestíveis nativas do cerrado, no que diz respeito aos ácidos graxos, e comparar com oleaginosas tradicionais. As nozes e sementes comestíveis tradicionais e nativas possuem, predominantemente, ácidos graxos monoinsaturados (42,72 g a 63,44 g/100 g), exceto a castanha-do-brasil, que apresentou predominância de ácidos graxos poli-insaturados (45,48 g/100 g). A amêndoa de pequi apresentou o maior teor de ácidos graxos saturados (36,14 g/100 g). Os ácidos graxos encontrados em maior concentração nas oleaginosas foram o ácido oleico e o linoleico; o ácido palmítico foi também detectado em proporções consideráveis. O perfil de ácidos graxos da castanha-de-caju-do-cerrado é comparável ao da castanha-de-caju tradicional. Quanto à relação entre ácidos graxos [omega]-6 e [omega]-3, a amêndoa de baru apresentou o valor de 9:1, mais próximo ao recomendado para consumo.