Baru Seed Extracted Oil (Dipteryx alata Vog.): Chemical Composition and Thermal and Oxidative Stability

Abstract

Baru seeds are commonly found in the Brazilian savanna and present potential to be used by the food industry due to their high content of fat. In this sense, this study aimed to determine the physicochemical properties, and chemical composition of baru seed oil. The thermal and oxidative stability, as well as the interfacial properties of the oil were also evaluated. The free fatty acid, peroxide, moisture, density, viscosity and the refractive index of the oil extracted from baru seeds were 0.08% oleic acid, 6.69 meq O2 kg–1 of oil, 0.03%, 0.92 g cm–3, 32.9 mPa s and 1.47, respectively. Since linoleic acid (L), oleic acid (O), palmitic acid (P) and linolenic acid (Ln) are the main fatty acids present in the oil, the most common predominant triacylglycerols in the oil are POO, POL, OOO, OOL, OLL and LLL. The oil extracted from baru seeds presented good thermal and oxidative stability. Moreover, the oil contains high contents of total phenolics and carotenoids. The reduction of oil-water dynamic interfacial tension was promoted by the presence of small molecules. Therefore, the oil extracted from baru seeds presents promising properties for processing in the food industry.