Nutritional quality, fatty acids content and antioxidant capacity of pecan nut fruits from Criolla and Improved walnut varieties

In the current study were evaluated the nutrimental quality, fatty acid and mineral content, and antioxidant capacity of pecan nut of Criolla and Improved walnut varieties. Nut fruit samples of three Criolla walnut varieties (‘Nazas I’, ‘Nazas II’ and ‘Norteña’), and two Improved varieties (‘Western’ and ‘Wichita’) were collected in La Laguna (Nazas, Durango) in Northern Mexico. The analyses run in nut samples were: bromatological and mineral content, fatty acids profile and antioxidant capacity. The results showed that Criolla and Improved varieties had similar bromatological content except ‘Nazas I’, which had the lowest protein and fat content. Furthermore, nuts from Criolla varieties had a higher mineral content, including iron (~38 mg/100 g dw), zinc (~51 mg/100 g dw) and manganese (25 mg/100 g dw). Besides, the fatty acid profile indicates a higher rate of oleic acid (71%) in nut oil of Criolla varieties than in Improved varieties (61%). Regarding antioxidant capacity (AC) the obtained values were similar in all varieties, with ‘Norteña’ variety (850 µM trolox equivalent/g of oil) in Criolla, and ‘Western’ (800 µM trolox equivalent/g of oil) in Improved as the highest values of AC among all varieties. Hence, pecan nut fruits of Criolla varieties are good nutrients and beneficial health compounds source for consumers, and their production and marketing represent interesting opportunity areas for nut producers

European Drying Conference -EuroDrying

Abstract: The influence of air drying temperature on antioxidant activity and carotenoids content in carrots has been investigated. Antioxidant activity and carotenoids content in fresh carrots were of 131.5±7.3 mg trolox/100 g d.m (CUPRAC assay) and 1.61±0.04 mg/g d.m., respectively. The losses of antioxidant activity and carotenoids were experimentally determined during the drying at different air temperatures (50, 60, and 80 ºC). The drying process significantly decreased the carrot antioxidant activity, the losses being 43%, 38% and 36.5% in dried carrots at 50, 60, and 80 ºC, respectively, for a final moisture content of 1kg/kg dm. However, carotenoids were relatively stable during the drying process, with a degradation of: 15.0%, 17.7%, and 25.4%, at 50, 60, and 80 ºC, respectively for samples dried until 1kg/kg dm. The degradation of these compounds followed a first order kinetic

Nutritional quality, fatty acids content and antioxidant capacity of pecan nut fruits from Criolla and Improved walnut varieties

In the current study were evaluated the nutrimental quality, fatty acid and mineral content, and antioxidant capacity of pecan nut of Criolla and Improved walnut varieties. Nut fruit samples of three Criolla walnut varieties (‘Nazas I’, ‘Nazas II’ and ‘Norteña’), and two Improved varieties (‘Western’ and ‘Wichita’) were collected in La Laguna (Nazas, Durango) in Northern Mexico. The analyses run in nut samples were: bromatological and mineral content, fatty acids profile and antioxidant capacity. The results showed that Criolla and Improved varieties had similar bromatological content except ‘Nazas I’, which had the lowest protein and fat content. Furthermore, nuts from Criolla varieties had a higher mineral content, including iron (~38 mg/100 g dw), zinc (~51 mg/100 g dw) and manganese (25 mg/100 g dw). Besides, the fatty acid profile indicates a higher rate of oleic acid (71%) in nut oil of Criolla varieties than in Improved varieties (61%). Regarding antioxidant capacity (AC) the obtained values were similar in all varieties, with ‘Norteña’ variety (850 µM trolox equivalent/g of oil) in Criolla, and ‘Western’ (800 µM trolox equivalent/g of oil) in Improved as the highest values of AC among all varieties. Hence, pecan nut fruits of Criolla varieties are good nutrients and beneficial health compounds source for consumers, and their production and marketing represent interesting opportunity areas for nut producers.</jats:p