a-Tocopherol in Amazon Fruits

Abstract

The aim of this work was to perform analysis of the a-tocopherol content by HPLC in Amazonian fruits consumed in Roraima state, Brazil, namely: ata brava, açaí, bacaba, buriti, buritirana, yellow murici, red murici, piaçaba braba, pupunha varieties red and yellow and tucumanzinho. A high concentration of the vitamin in the açaí pulp (1101.11 mg L-1) and of the ata brava seeds (644.27 mg L-1) was observed, but other fruits such as buritirana pulp (166.34 mg L-1), red murici (179.52 mg L-1), and piaçaba brava (8.77 mg L-1) presented low amounts of a-tocopherol. As for the yellow and red varieties of pupunha and the tucumanzinho,no presence of the isomer was detected. Identification and quantification of a-tocopherol cited in this work are unpublished for the ata brava, buritirana and red murici, as for the other fruits studied there were variations. Amazonian fruits may present a-tocopherol in its lipid composition, which is one of the most bioactive isomers of vitamin E, for this reason.