Physicochemical, Functional, Pasting, and Amino Acid Composition of Pouteria campechiana Nut Flours (Underutilized Crops): Impact of Different Thermal Processing

Canistel nuts (Pouteria campechiana) are underutilized sources of nutrients and phytochemicals, but their application is limited by the presence of antinutritional factors. Enhancing the nutritional value and bioavailability of these nuts requires processing methods that reduce or eliminate antinutrients, while also influencing their nutrient composition and functional properties. Therefore, this study was aimed at evaluating the influence of culinary treatments on the physicochemical and functional properties of canistel nuts. For this purpose, the collected nuts were roasted, boiled, and boiled–roasted. The powders obtained were used to determine physicochemical and functional properties, FTIR, and amino acid profiles. The different analyses showed that the energy, water, and lipid contents were not affected by the treatments (p > 0.05). Roasting improved protein and fiber content. The treatments improved the content of all minerals. The carotenoid content ranged from 21.84 mg/100 g (raw nuts) to 5.23 mg/100 g (boiled–roasted nuts). Condensed tannins increased with the double treatment (p < 0.05), while all treatments improved the hydrolysable tannin content (p < 0.05). The same was true for phytates and oxalates, although the levels were below the threshold values. In terms of functional properties, swelling and water retention capacities were reduced by roasting, whereas oil retention capacity was not affected (p > 0.05) by the treatment. All rheological parameters were affected by the treatments (p < 0.001), as was the FTIR profile (number of peaks and intensities). The amino acid profile showed the presence of eight amino acids in the different samples, six of which were nonessential. Based on these findings, boiling and combined boiling–roasting treatments are recommended to enhance the nutritional and functional properties of canistel nuts, supporting their use in food supplement formulations.