Proximate Composition, Nutrient Mineral and Fatty Acid of the Bunchosia glandulifera Fruit

Bunchosia glandulifera is an exotic species found in southern of Brazil, of which the pulp and toasted seed are much used because of their stimulating properties and nutritional values. However, few scientific data are reported about the chemical composition of the B. glandulifera fruit and the benefits its consumption. The aim of this study was to determine the fatty acid, proximate and mineral composition of the fruit. The results revealed that soluble solids and sugars are present at high concentration in the pulp, whereas the seed predominantly contained protein and ash. According to the particle-induced X-ray emission (PIXE) measurement, the elemental composition revealed that K, P, Ca, and Mg are the most abundant minerals in the fruit. Interestingly, the ingestion of 200 g of the fruit provides 100% of the recommended daily ingestion (RDI) of some elements. Moreover, among the seventeen fatty acids found in the pulp and seed, palmitic acid (C16:0) was found to be the most concentrated.