Partial evaluation of Dipteryx lacunifera seed kernel as a nutritional food: Evaluación parcial de la almendra del fruto de Dipteryx lacunifera como alimento nutritivo

Abstract

The Dipteryx lacunifera plant is a native of the states of Piauí and Maranhão in Brazil. The fruit kernel, in spite of having a good potential for food use, is still unexplored. The present work investigates the kernel composition, electrophoretic behavior, amino acids composition, and antinutritional components in defatted kernel flour. The kernel constituted about 6.5% of the fruit. The average weight, length, width, and thickness of the kernel were 1.03 g, and 2.45, 1.44 and 0.58 cm, respectively. The lipid and the protein contents of whole kernel flour were about 41.8 and 13.3 g per 100 g, respectively, while in defatted kernel flour, the protein content was 26.4 g per 100 g on dry weight basis. The polyacrylamide gel in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate and 2β-mercapto-ethanol (PAGE-SDS-2βMe) revealed the presence of 12 proteins with molecular weights ranging from 7.8 to 97.3 kDa. The proteins with molecular weights 18.0, 39.6, 57.6, 69.2, and 97.3 kDa were the prominent ones, while those corresponding to 7.8, 12.0, 14.7, 25.3, 31.3, 33.7, and 83.9 kDa were present in small concentrations. Defatted kernel flour did not present trypsin inhibitory and hemagglutinating activity. The tannin content of the flour was 0.63 mg/g. In comparison to FAO reference protein, the defatted flour showed all essential amino acids (except methionine) in good concentrations. © 2009 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.