Comprehensive analysis of Amazonian oil and fats with different fatty composition: Murumuru fat (Astrocaryum murumuru), cupuassu fat (Theobroma grandiflorum), and pracaxi oil (Pentaclethera macroloba)

Abstract

Amazon is the largest Brazilian biome and has a vast diversity of oilseed species. This work highlighted three of its natural riches, the murumuru (Astrocaryum murumuru) fat, cupuassu (Theobroma grandiflorum) fat, and pracaxi (Pentaclethera macroloba) oil obtained from the seeds of the fruits of these species. It was aimed at a comprehensive evaluation of the chemical and physicochemical properties of these Amazonian products, deepening the knowledge on their quality parameters for products and processes design. The lipid samples showed a mostly yellow color, high total lipid content, with high percentage of triacylglycerols, low water content and low acid value, with insignificant volatile carboxylic acids content, that are end products of lipid oxidation. The FTIR spectra demonstrated a characteristic profile of other vegetable oils, and the lipid samples studied differed among them based on their unsaturation degree. Murumuru fat and pracaxi oil presented high levels of β/γ-tocopherols, while cupuassu fat presented high content of polyphenols. Murumuru and cupuassu fats presented high levels of metals (Ca, Fe, Mg, P) responsible for increasing the rate of lipid oxidation, even so they presented higher activation energy values than pracaxi oil and other conventional lipid sources, which were related to the higher saturated fatty acids content in the fatty composition of these fats. For crude murumuru and cupuassu fats, additional refining processes are alternatives for improving fats’ oxidative stability by also reducing levels of metals. By demonstrating quality, nutritional value, and physicochemical properties of murumuru fat, cupuassu fat, and pracaxi oil, the results presented in this work highlight these lipids as excellent alternatives to commonly used vegetable fats and oils like palm oil, their fractions, and chemically modified lipids from industrial crops, highly associated to environmental and other impacts, allowing improving industrial sustainability while promoting Amazonian bioeconomy and its socio-biodiversity valorization.