Fatty Acids and Protein Content of Underexplored Tropical Palm Fruits

Abstract

The Arecaceae family encompasses numerous tropical palms with notable nutritional and bioactive potential; however, tropical palm fruit species remain comparatively underexplored. This study characterised the biochemical composition of fruits from eight species: Attalea phalerata, Bactris gasipaes, Copernicia alba, Latania verschaffeltii, Syagrus kellyana, Syagrus orinocensis, Veitchia metiti, and Wodyetia bifurcata. In fruit pulps, substantial interspecific variability was observed in moisture (8.5-87.7%), total fatty acids (1.3-4.7% of dry weight), and protein contents (5.2-7.3% of dry weight). Fatty acid profiles of fruit pulps differed markedly in the proportions of polyunsaturated (PUFA, 12.0-41.8%), monounsaturated (MUFA, 16.3-40.5%), and saturated fatty acids (SFA, 34.2-47.6%), resulting in distinct nutritional indices among species, including atherogenic (AI, 0.3-1.5), thrombogenic (TI, 0.3-0.7), hypocholesterolemic/hypercholesterolemic (HH, 0.4-2.5), and stearoyl-CoA desaturase (SCD) indices. The fruit pulps of B. gasipaes and L. verschaffeltii exhibited particularly favourable lipid profiles, with n-6/n-3 ratios below 1.0, indicating potential cardiovascular benefits. Seeds of W. bifurcata exhibited the highest HH index (2.3), indicating a pronounced hypocholesterolemic potential. Overall, these results demonstrate considerable biochemical diversity among tropical palm fruit and underscore their potential as alternative sources of lipids and plant proteins, supporting their potential use as human food ingredients.