Valorização sustentável da amêndoa desengordurada de tucumã (Astrocaryum aculeatum) para obtenção de ingredientes alimentícios com potencial aplicação no mercado plant-based

Abstract

Tucumã is a widely consumed and commercialized fruit in the Northern region of Brazil, with high commercial demand for its pulp. However, the fruit's kernel remains underexplored, and studies describing its properties and characteristics are still limited. Thus, the present work aimed to add value to the by-product of tucumã almond (Astrocaryum aculeatum) by using it in the production of food ingredients and evaluating the feasibility of its application in the plant based products market. Experiments were conducted to evaluate the proximate composition of the press cake and flours from the almond and shell of the tucumã fruit, which were incorporated into the preparation of 3 formulations of plant-based meat analogs. In the raw analog formulations, the proximate composition and microbiological analysis were performed to identify the presence of Salmonella, total coliforms, and coagulase-positive Staphylococcus. From tucumã almond press cake flour, protein extraction was performed using an alkaline method followed by isoelectric precipitation, evaluating the effect of alkaline pH, agitation time, solid:solvent ratio, and the effect of acidic pH on protein recovery and yield. The protein fraction obtained was analyzed to determine the presence of antinutritional factors, to characterize its techno-functional properties, and to quantify amino acids. Almond press cake showed a high fiber content (31.52%), while almond press cake flour showed a predominance of carbohydrates (78.43%) in its composition. The best protein extraction conditions were obtained at an alkaline pH of 11, an agitation time of 90 minutes, a solid:solvent ratio of 1:20 (m/v), and isoelectric precipitation at pH 4.5, resulting in a protein recovery of 52% and a yield of 11%. The protein fraction showed favorable technological properties with potential for implementation in plant analogues, standing out especially in foaming capacity (133.33%) and emulsification capacity (26.45%). The plant-based analogues were successfully developed and stood out for their protein content (28.96% to 30.35%), with the highest content observed in the formulation with the greatest incorporation of press cake flour, demonstrating high nutritional and functional value. These results highlight the potential of the tucumã almond by-product for application in the food industry, contributing to adding value to the fruit and supporting sustainable and economic development.