Joselson Rodrigues da Silva1, Carla Mariana da Silva Medeiros1, Marília Guimarães Rodrigues2, Cicero Alves Lopes Júnior1, Herbert Sousa Barbosa1
The babassu palm (Attalea speciosa) is a species in the Arecaceae family with drupe fruits that contain edible seeds. This palm tree is of significant socioeconomic value to rural populations because they use its reproductive and vegetative structures, such as the almond, to produce food. One of the main products of plant extraction is the babassu coconut kernel, which is mainly used in the form of babassu mesocarp flour (BMF). BMF contains high levels of carbohydrates and bioactive compounds, making it highly nutritious. Therefore, chemical assessments reflecting composition and bioaccessibility levels are important for understanding how these nutrients behave in the body. Thus, the objective of this study was to evaluate the nutritional quality, centesimal composition, and phenolic compounds in the mesocarp and kernel of babassu. To this end, the centesimal composition of the samples was evaluated to determine their ash, moisture, protein, lipid, carbohydrate, caloric value, and content. The results were as follows: 1.22 ± 0.03 and 1.64 ± 0.02 g/100 g for ash; 10.56 ± 0.15 and 8.34 ± 0.09% for moisture; 1.45 ± 0.05 and 9.43 ± 0.03% for protein; 59.54 ± 1.57 and 0.28 ± 0.01 g/100 g for lipids; 86.51% and 21.00% for carbohydrates; and 354.28 and 657.58 kcal/100 g for the mesocarp and kernel, respectively. Total phenolic compounds (TPC) were determined using the Folin-Ciocalteu method. The analytical curve yielded the equation Y = 0.0009x – 0.0352 with a correlation coefficient of r = 0.9979. The samples yielded values of 5,224.07 ± 0.67 and 151.63 ± 4.42 milligrams of EAG per 100 grams for the mesocarp and kernel, respectively. These results reveal the nutritional potential of different parts of the babassu palm, particularly the mesocarp. These results suggest that consuming this fruit or babassu-based by-products could improve population nutrition and add value to babassu production chains in Maranhão, a state known for its forests dominated by babassu palms. The aim is to evaluate the mineral content and bioaccessibility of these nutrients to better understand these nutraceuticals during digestion.
Agradecimentos: Universidade Federal do Piauí, Programa de Pós-graduação em Química, FAPEMA, FAPEPI e CAPES