Cnidoscolus Quercifolius : Nutritional Value, Bioactive Activity And Potential Application Of Seed And Its Derivatives In Human Nutrition

Background: Faveleira (Cnidoscolus quercifolius) is a plant native to Caatinga and resistant to drought periods. The seed of this plant is an oilseed and its nutritional composition may vary according to the presence or not of thorns and depending on the period in which it was collected. Different derivatives can be obtained from the seed: oil, press cake, flour, almond, and protein isolate.Scope and approach: This article aims to collect information about the faveleira, pointing out the gaps that have not been researched and underlining the nutritional value, bioactive activity and potential use of the seeds and their derivatives in human food.Key findings and conclusions: The faveleira seed can be used in several ways. Its derivatives have the potential to be used in human food and have bioactive compounds in their composition. Among these derivatives, oil is the most studied to date and the press cake stands out for its high antioxidant activity. In order to promote the use of faveleira seed and its derivatives in human food, further studies about other bioactive activities of oil, description and use of the various derivatives in food products, isolation of bioactive compounds and the viability of processing these derivatives at the industrial level are needed.