Castanha de pequi (Caryocar brasiliesnse Camb.), polpa e amêndoa de jerivá (Syagrus romanzoffiana (Cham.) Glassmann) para o enriquecimento da alimentação indígena

Abstract

One of the biggest problems afflicting indigenous peoples nowadays is food insecurity resulting from the low availability of nutritious foods and the contamination of rivers, from which they derive part of their subsistence. Cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) is a staple of traditional indigenous food, giving rise to foods such as beiju and farofa. The Amazon Rainforest and the Cerrado are the largest Brazilian biomes, harboring a rich but underutilized plant diversity, such as the fruits of the pequi tree (Caryocar brasiliense Camb.) and the jerivá palm (Syagrus romanzoffiana (Cham.) Glassmann), which are rich in nutrients and bioactive compounds. The objective of this work was to evaluate and compare the toxicity, chemical composition, functional and technological properties of roasted pequi nut flour (FCP), pulp flour (FPJ), and jerivá almond flour (FAJ), obtained using artisanal processes such as sun drying and roasting, accessible to indigenous communities in areas at risk of malnutrition. As well as producing beijus and farofas with partial substitution (0%, 12.5%, 25%, 37.5%, and 50%) of cassava dough (MM) by FCP, and evaluating their physicochemical composition, physical and functional properties, microbiological risk, and accessible sensory characteristics. The flour did not present toxicity. In the processing of the flours, the yields were 44.36% for FPJ, 6.13% for FCP, and 4.36% for FAJ. FPJ presented a high carbohydrate content (39.55 g 100 g-1), soluble dietary fiber (15.29 g 100 g-1) and insoluble fiber (23.90 g 100 g-1), yellow-orange color, good water solubility (32.69%) and presence of aromatic esters. FAJ presented consistent values of lipids (49.48 g.100 g-1), protein (11.78 g.100 g-1) and low acidity (0.60 g.100 g-1), while FCP stood out for its high total energy value (706.11 kcal.g-1), a consequence of the high lipid (70.13 g.100 g-1) and protein content (12,23 g.100 g-1), also showed good antioxidant capacity for reducing iron ions (159.33 μM ferrous sulfate.100 g-1 of dry sample) and the presence of ketones and aldehydes among its volatile compounds. The formulations with added FCP showed increasing nutritional gain as the levels of MM substitution with FCP increased. The product with the highest nutritional value was the farofa with 50% substitution, which showed enrichment in lipids (36,92 g.100 g-1), protein (11,39 g.100 g-1), total energy value (468,75 kcal. g-1), ash (1,97 g.100 g-1), and phenolic compounds (7,33 mg GAE. g-1), compared to the control product, made only with MM. The beiju with 25% substitution, showed greater enrichment in soluble dietary fiber (3,74 g.100 g-1) and insoluble dietary fiber (6,64 g.100 g-1) compared to the control beiju. The beijus, farofas, and roasted pequi nut snack showed no microbial growth with the use of simple operations such as sun drying and roasting, and packaging. The addition of FCP did not influence the sensory atributes of the beijus and farofas. Snacks made from roasted and salted pequi nuts showed good sensory acceptance. It is concluded that the flours from jerivá pulp and almond and roasted pequi nuts are not toxic and have high nutritional and functional values, and their consumption can be recommended. The application of pequi nut flour in beiju and in farofa promotes the nutritional and functional enrichment of cassavabased products present in the indigenous diet, thus potentially contributing to the fight against hunger and food insecurity in this population.