Abstract
Abstract The wild native species of the Brazilian savannah have attractive flavors and nutritive compounds. Among the Combretaceaes genus, the Buchenavia tomentosa Eichler plays an important role in popular medicine, however, little is known about its chemical composition. Thus, in order to a chemical-biological prospection in fruits of the Tocantins savannah, the aim of this work was to characterize the B. tomentosa fruits collected in the central and southern regions of Tocantins State, about some of its physical, physical-chemical and biochemical properties. The fruits, for this study, were collected in two regions (Palmas and Gurupi) in Tocantins State and analyzed in the parameters: coloration, centesimal composition, pectin, soluble solids, pH and acidity, vitamin C content and phenolic compounds. The study obtained results demonstrate that the fruits are of a light yellow color, are acidic, have high values of °Brix and glycidic fraction (carbohydrates). However, the high levels of vitamin C (1.26 to 3.57 g ascorbic acid per 100 g of pulp) and phenolic compounds (2.93 to 4.20 g GAE 100 g-1) are noteworthy. This study evidences a great nutritional potential for the fruits of B. tomentosa.
Highlights
The savannah is the second largest Brazilian ecosystem and stands out for its great biodiversity, besides being an important agricultural frontier of the world
Practical Application: The physical-chemical and biochemical characterization of Buchenavia tomentosa fruits become necessary in view of the lack of knowledge about its nutritional properties. In this way this paper presented results show that the fruits of this species can be characterized as acids, slightly sweet, little intense yellow color and potentially nutritious, highlighting the high levels of phenolic compounds and vitamin C
The analyzed fruits were randomly collected from ten matrices in two regions of the Tocantins State, in the municipalities of Gurupi and Palmas
Summary
The savannah is the second largest Brazilian ecosystem and stands out for its great biodiversity, besides being an important agricultural frontier of the world. The fruits of the savannah stand out because they have attractive organoleptic characteristics, present “sui generis” flavors and high levels of sugars, proteins, vitamins and minerals. They are consumed “in natura” or in the form of juices, liqueurs, ice creams, jellies among others. These characteristics make them interesting for biotechnological, food, pharmaceutical and medical applications (Caramori et al, 2004; Cardoso et al, 2011)
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
