Nutritional and technological benefits of tropical almond fruits (Terminalia catappa Linn.)

Abstract

This aim of this study was to apply analytical technologies to the tropical almond fruits (Terminalia catappa Linn.), in order to add nutritional value to this peculiar fruit of urban areas with classic function of afforestation. Its fruits have been considered only as an environmental contaminant, rarely used in the economic sectors. Thus, it is necessary to apply basic methods in food analysis in order to indentify the nutritional and functional quality of edible and non-edible parts of this fruit, isolating its compounds, as oil from its almond. The results of the application of technologies for oil extraction, by solid-liquid route, with organic solvents showed a high concentration of macronutrients, in quantitative terms, of 52.85%. When analyzed from the aspect of quality standards of the current Brazilian law, the fruit presented a good quality standard expressed by its acidity and peroxide values below the recommended values. Its functional quality related to its chromatographic profile showed predominance in unsaturated fatty acids, with considerable emphasis on oleic fatty acids (33.87%), linoleic acid (22.24%) and linolenic acid with (0.068%), which are known as omega 9, 6 and 3, respectively. These data demonstrate a high importance for nutrition based on the lipids of its functional constitution, since they are pro- and anti-inflammatory agents, directly responsible for maintaining the human immune defense and they may no longer be considered as environmental contaminants.