Impacto do tempo de armazenamento na composição química do mesocarpo de frutos de Acrocomia spp.

Abstract

The genus Acrocomia has gained prominence at both national and international levels due to its high productive capacity and the wide range of applications of its fruits. Among oil-producing palms, macaúba is considered one of the most promising species, providing oils of excellent quality from both the pulp and the kernel. Its broad natural distribution, combined with high productivity, resistance, and adaptability to diverse environments, positions this species as a crucial option for establishing sustainable production chains. Despite this positive scenario, the production chain of Acrocomia species is still under development and lacks basic information to support both the industrial use of its by-products and strategies for selection and genetic improvement. Therefore, the present study aimed to analyze and characterize chemical changes in the proximate composition of the pulp of A. aculeata, hybrids, and A. totai over a 28-day storage period. Throughout the study, all samples were ensured to be on a dry basis for the determination of oil, protein, moisture, ash, sugars (sucrose, glucose, fructose), starch, and fiber. These data were analyzed using one-way analysis of variance to illustrate the temporal patterns of chemical variables across different genotypes, applying nonparametric smoothing tools in the R software. Similarities among genotypes were observed for oil, protein, moisture, and ash contents. In contrast, regarding sugars and carbohydrates, A. aculeata and the hybrids showed an inverse relationship between starch and fiber loss and the increase in oil, sucrose, glucose, and fructose contents, whereas in A. totai, starch and fiber remained stable during storage, while oil, sucrose, glucose, and fructose exhibited only subtle variations. It was concluded that the results demonstrate distinct physiological behaviors among the genetic groups, indicating that the proximate composition of Acrocomia spp. fruits is influenced by genetic material and storage time.