@article{Santos_Alves_Roca_2015, title={Carotenoid composition in oils obtained from palm fruits from the Brazilian Amazon}, volume={66}, url={https://grasasyaceites.revistas.csic.es/index.php/grasasyaceites/article/view/1552}, DOI={10.3989/gya.1062142}, abstractNote={The oils obtained from native palm fruits are considered new sources of high added value phytochemicals, making it necessary to know the composition of the less studied species in order to evaluate their economic potential. The objective of this study is to identify and quantify the arotenoids in palm fruit oils from the Brazilian Amazon: bacaba (<em>Oenocarpus bacaba</em>), buriti (<em>Mauritia flexuosa</em>), inajá (<em>Maximiliana maripa</em>), pupunha (<em>Bactris gasipaes</em>) and tucumã (<em>Astrocaryum vulgare</em>), by means of liquid phase extraction and HPLC-UV-vis. analysis. The results showed an extremely variable carotenoid content, from 13 mg·kg<sup>−1</sup> in bacaba oil to more than 1000 mg·kg<sup>−1</sup> in the tucumã one. The oils obtained from buriti, pupunha and tucumã displayed high concentrations of ß-carotene, corresponding to fruits with the series ß, ß dominant metabolism. Upon analyzing the carotenoid profile in bacaba oil for the first time, an extraordinary dominance of the ß, ε pathway was observed, proving them to be oils with high lutein and α-carotene contents. Although the ß, ß pathway dominates in inajá oil, the exclusive and high lycopene content implies that LCY-E is barely active in these fruits, in contrast to what has been evidenced so far. It is therefore of the utmost importance to characterize these new potential sources of carotenoids.}, number={3}, journal={Grasas y Aceites}, author={Santos, M. F.G. and Alves, R. E. and Roca, M.}, year={2015}, month={Sep.}, pages={e086} }