Chaînes opératoires and resource-exploitation strategies in chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes) nut cracking

Journal of Human Evolution, V. 55, pp. 148-163

Vegetables, an innovative nut: A Marketing Plan developed for PepsiCo Iberia

A Work Project, presented as part of the requirements for the Award of a Masters Degree in Management from the NOVA – School of Business and Economics

An evaluation of fibrous structure and physical characteristics of Cutia nut (Couepia edulis Prance) shell

The Cutia-nut (Couepia edulis Prance), a species originally from the Amazon region, has a kernel with reasonable nutritional value and a hard and thick woody shell that constitute most of the fruit. After the kernel removal, the shells are regarded as waste. The possibility of using such shells, as raw material for burning or charcoal production, as well as milled residue for structural reinforcement materials is quite feasible, considering environmental and economical aspects. There is, however, a complete lack of characterization of the Cutia-nut shell and other similar species which can aggregate desirable qualities for application as engineering material. In this study some analyses are presented aiming at providing information for potential uses of these residues. In general, the shells follow a regular shape with certain dimensional proportionality to the kernel. The shell is a fibrous material with high lignin content, present low water absorption and high resistance to natural degradation.

Tocopherol profile of Brazil nut oil from different geographic areas of the Amazon region

The tocopherol content of Brazil nut oil from different Amazon regions (Manicoré-AM, Rio Preto da Eva-AM, São João da Baliza-RR, Caroebe-RR, Belém-PA, and Xapurí-AC) was investigated by normal-phase high-performance liquid chromatography. For all authentic oils, two isomers: α- and γ-tocopherols were observed (37.92-74.48 µg g-1, 106.88-171.80 µg g-1, respectively), and their levels were relatively constant among the oils having these geographic origins, which would enable to distinguish Brazil nut oil from other plant oils for authentication purposes. Commercial Brazil nut oils were also evaluated, and some of these oils demonstrated a tocopherol content that was very different from that of the authentic oils. Therefore, we suggest that the tocopherol profile of Brazil nut oil can be useful chemical marker for quality control and authentication.

Development of a shelling method to recover whole kernels of the Cutia nut (Couepia edulis)

The kernel of the cutia nut (castanha-de-cutia, Couepia edulis (Prance) Prance) of the western Amazon, which is consumed by the local population, has traditionally been extracted from the nut with a machete, a dangerous procedure that only produces kernels cut in half. A shelling off machine prototype, which produces whole kernels without serious risks to its operator, is described and tested. The machine makes a circular cut in the central part of the fruit shell, perpendicular to its main axis. Three ways of conditioning the fruits before cutting were compared: (1) control; (2) oven drying immediately prior to cutting; (3) oven drying, followed by a 24-hour interval before cutting. The time needed to extract and separate the kernel from the endocarp and testa was measured. Treatment 3 produced the highest output: 63 kernels per hour, the highest percentage of whole kernels (90%), and the best kernel taste. Kernel extraction with treatment 3 required 50% less time than treatment 1, while treatment 2 needed 38% less time than treatment 1. The proportion of kernels attached to the testa was 93%, 47%, and 8% for treatments 1, 2, and 3, respectively, and was the main reason for extraction time differences.

REPEATABILITY OF FRUITS AND SEEDS PRODUCTION AND SELECTION OF BRAZIL NUT GENOTYPES IN NATIVE POPULATIONS IN RORAIMA1

ABSTRACT This study estimates the repeatability coefficients of two production traits in two native populations of Brazil nut trees. It determines the number of years of suitable evaluations for an efficient selection process, determines the permanent phenotypic correlation between production traits and also the selection of promising trees in these populations. Populations, located in the Itã region (ITA) and in the in the Cujubim region (CUJ), are both belonging to the municipality of Caracaraí, state of Roraima - Brazil, and consist of 85 and 51 adult trees, respectively. Each tree was evaluated regarding the number of fruits per plant (NFP) and fresh seed weight per plant (SWP), for eight (ITA) and five consecutive years (CUJ). Statistical analyses were performed according to the mixed model methodology, using Software Selegen-REML/BLUP (RESENDE, 2007). The repeatability coefficients were low for NFP (0.3145 and 0.3269 for ITA and CUJ, respectively) and also for SWP (0.2957 and 0.3436 for ITA and CUJ, respectively). It on average takes nine evaluation years to reach coefficients of determination higher than 80%. Permanent phenotypic correlation values higher than 0.95 were obtained for NFP and SWP in both populations. Although trees with a high number of fruits and seed weight were identified, more evaluation years are needed to perform the selection process more efficiently.

Sineríssap kavdlunâkarfiligtâ : tunuata ilâ ilángutdlugo, ilânut ûgtugkat najorkutaralugit ilânutdlo inuisa ilaisa nalunaerssugait najorkutaralugit ássilissak

Kartta kuuluu A. E. Nordenskiöldin kokoelmaan

Functional characterization of acetylated Brazil nut (Bertholletia excelsa HBK) kernel globulin

Defatted Brazil nut kernel flour, a rich source of high quality proteins, is presently being utilized in the formulation of animal feeds. One of the possible ways to improve its utilization for human consumption is through improvement in its functional properties. In the present study, changes in some of the functional properties of Brazil nut kernel globulin were evaluated after acetylation at 58.6, 66.2 and 75.3% levels. The solubility of acetylated globulin was improved above pH 6.0 but was reduced in the pH range of 3.0-4.0. Water and oil absorption capacity, as well as the viscosity increased with increase in the level of acetylation. Level of modification also influenced the emulsifying capacity: decreased at pH 3.0, but increased at pH 7.0 and 9.0. Highest emulsion activity (approximately 62.2%) was observed at pH 3.0 followed by pH 9.0 and pH 7.0 and least (about 11.8%) at pH 5.0. Emulsion stability also followed similar behavior as that of emulsion activity.

Soy and Brazil nut beverage: processing, composition, sensory, and color evaluation

Despite its high nutritional value, soymilk consumption in Western countries is limited mainly due to undesirable flavors developed during the traditional elaboration process. Brazil nut (Bertholletia excelsa) has pleasant flavor and recognized nutritional value. Thus, the aim of this work was to elaborate a soy and Brazil nut beverage exploring the use of two national products of high nutritional quality. The process for manufacturing a soy and Brazil nut beverage consisted of elaboration, formulation, and homogenization of soymilk and Brazil nut milk. The addition of five levels (10, 20, 30, 40, and 50%) of Brazil nut milk to soy beverages was investigated. Although no significant differences in consumer average preference (p > 0.05) were observed among the beverages, analyzing both the consumer preference frequency distribution of the products and the Internal Preference Mapping (IPM), it was possible to conclude that the beverage with 30% of Brazil nut milk reached the most adequate performance demonstrating the sensory benefits Brazil nuts brought to the product. Regarding proximate composition, it did not present a better performance in terms of nutritional value, except for the oil content. The soy and Brazil nut beverage presented visual stability and no phase separation despite the non-stability shown by Brazil nut beverage itself. When Brazil nut milk was added to soy beverage, the final product became whiter than soy beverage, which is appealing to consumers who normally search for a clearer soymilk. The soy and Brazil nut beverage processing can be considered an alternative to increase the use of Brazil nuts in the Brazilian diet.

Association between aflatoxin and aflatoxigenic fungi in Brazil nut (Bertholletia excelsa H.B.K.)

Brazil nut has a high nutritional content and is a very important trade commodity to some Latin American countries. In order to evaluate its safety, 120 samples from different stages of the productive chain were analyzed in terms of: moisture content (mc), aflatoxigenic fungi and aflatoxin (LOQ = 1.95 μg.kg-1 total aflatoxin) using TLC. Among all samples, 4 (6.7%) from the receiving area, and 5 (16.7%), from retail presented aflatoxins above the LOQ, but the amount of aflatoxins was below the LOQ after the samples were dried in the plant. The positive samples were above the limit of total aflatoxin permitted by the European Union (4.0 μg.kg-1) and Brazil (30 μg.kg-1). The mc mean was 22.43% in the receiving area, which is higher than that in the other stages samples. All the A. flavus strains were aflatoxigenic, and there was statistic association between the presence of aflatoxin and flavus strains. The aflatoxigenic fungi strains associated to the aflatoxins levels in the samples show that an effective control is necessary for the food safety in the Brazil nut production chain.

Processing of Brazil-nut flour: characterization, thermal and morphological analysis

The Brazil nut (Bertholletia excelsea H. B. K.) is noteworthy for its high content of lipids and proteins of elevated biological value and these factors justify the need for further research and incentives for the manufacturing of new trade products. In the present study we sought new forms of technological use of these nuts by the food industry, through their processing as flour, with no alteration in its energy content. The results after its elaboration showed a product with high energy value (431.48 kcal.100 g-1), protein content of 45.92 g.100 g-1, and fiber of 17.14%. The thermal analyses indicate that the introduction of another protein component, such as soy protein isolate, does not alter the reactions or thermal behavior. On the other hand, morphological analyses revealed granular structures similar to the structure of globular proteins. It was observed that after processing to obtain the flour, the product maintains its protein-energy content, as well as its characteristics when subjected to high temperatures.

Serum lipid profile and hepatic evaluation in mice fed diet containing pequi nut or pulp (Caryocar brasiliense Camb.)

Caryocar brasiliense (popular name pequi) is widely consumed by the population of Brazilian Savannah. This fruit has a high concentration of monounsaturated fatty acids that can influence positively the lipid profile. In addition, pequi also has an important concentration of saturated fatty acids which, in turn, is associated with atherosclerosis risk. This study aimed to investigate the effect of a pequi-supplemented diet on blood lipid and glucose levels and hepatic histology. Female Albino swiss mice were divided into three groups and fed a standard chow diet (control group), chow diet supplemented with 33% pequi nut (nut group), and chow diet supplemented with 33% pequi pulp (pulp group). After 6 weeks, following an overnight fast, blood and liver were collected for posterior analyses. Serum total cholesterol and HDL-cholesterol were significantly higher in mice fed pequi-rich diets compared to the control group. Nevertheless, there was no modification in blood triglycerides, atherogenic fraction, and glucose levels. In addition, there was development of liver microvesicular steatosis related to pequi intake. In conclusion, the diets supplemented with pequi nut or pulp reduced the atherogenic risk by increasing the anti-atherogenic lipoproteins without changing the pro-atherogenic fraction in mice.