Nutritional properties of Buriti (Mauritia flexuosa) and health benefits

Abstract

In order to identify strategies to encourage the cultivation of buriti, studies on nutritional quality, applications in human health and potential for pharmaceutical use, this review proposes a general view regarding these topics in buriti pulp. Therefore, the search was carried out in the databases Science Direct, Scopus and MEDLINE from the beginning of each database until June 23, 2021. Buriti pulp stands out for its considerable levels of lipids, especially palmitic and oleic acids. Besides of the significant levels of tocopherol and phytosterols. Buriti pulp is rich in carotenoids, mainly β-carotene, and phenolic compounds such as protocatecuric acid, chlorogenic acid, epicatechin, luteolin and catechin. The fruit may have the potential to be applied in the prevention of inflammatory diseases and as an antimicrobial agent. Moreover, this study was pioneer in describing the possible pathway of carotenoid biosynthesis in this fruit.