Abstract
The Brazilian horticulture has faced a constant growth rate, which could be higher if less economically exploited native species were considered. Among them, the coco plum, a not very well-known fruit, but with good acceptance by the resident population where the shrubs grow spontaneously, stands out. The objective of this study was to disseminate information concerning the morphometric features, nutritional information, and physicochemical parameters of this fruit, in order to encourage its use in the traditional diet. The fruits were harvested at the Massambaba shoal, in Arraial do Cabo, Rio de Janeiro State, Brasil, at the 2009 harvest. The results revealed a fruit average weight of 9.40±1.35 g, whereas, for the seeds, it ranged from 2.9 g to 3.17 g. For seeds length and diameter, an average of 2.04±0.26 cm and 2.26±0.25 cm were respectively observed, with yield of 70% for the pulp, 10ºBrix, and low acidity, besides a high humidity content (84.40±0.15 g 100 g-1), low lipids (0.85±0,07 g 100 g-1) and proteins (0.68±0,01 g 100 g-1) levels, and total alimentary fiber of 2.63±0.08 g 100 g-1. The results provided a better knowledge on the coco plum nutritional information, specially concerning the presence of chromium, selenium, calcium, and iron. KEY-WORDS: Chrysobalanus icaco; exotic fruits; nutritional information.
Highlights
The Brazilian horticulture has faced a constant growth rate, which could be higher if less economically exploited native species were considered
Apenas algumas frutas nativas possuem pomares implantados com a finalidade de exploração racional, caracterizando um subaproveitamento, visto que a utilização destas espécies pode ser uma alternativa econômica para a região produtora, constituindo fontes de exploração nas quais a pesquisa e o desenvolvimento de tecnologias podem viabilizar seu aproveitamento racional a curto prazo (IBGE 2009)
O fruto do abajeru apresenta teor de lipídios totais igual a 0,85±0,07 g 100 g-1, valor superior ao encontrado tanto por Franco (2001) quanto por Vargas et al (2000), para o mesmo fruto: 0,1 g 100 g-1
Summary
The Brazilian horticulture has faced a constant growth rate, which could be higher if less economically exploited native species were considered. Dentre as inúmeras espécies vegetais presentes e com potencial de exploração nas áreas da restinga, destaca-se o abajeru, também conhecido, popularmente, como guajiru, ou, ainda, ajuru, planta de porte arbustivo, que se encontra na Região Nordeste, nos Estados do Ceará, Maranhão e Pernambuco; no Norte, no Estado do Pará; e no Sudeste, no Rio de Janeiro, além de ser encontrado em outros países, como a Colômbia e a Venezuela (Vargas 1998, Kruel & Peixoto 2004). Este trabalho teve por objetivo determinar as características morfométricas e físico-químicas e o valor nutritivo do fruto do abajeru, fomentando o aproveitamento desta espécie na dieta tradicional e na produção de produtos derivados
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