Acai Study
Clinical Study completed in July 2004 on Acai – Powder Extract
Study Conducted by: Laboratório Catarinense S/A a FDA Certified Pharmaceutical Laboratory
Composition Results Obtained
There are seven bromatological parameters studied with reference to juices done in the past. However, in this study we are now showing the power of a pure extract of Acai berry: pH, fatty matter, total nitrogenous matter, sugars, fibers, total ash and anthocyanines. The results are presented in a summarized form in Table 2.
1. pH
The cabbage palm beverage is a hardly acid drink, as its mean pH is 5.23. The mean pH of 5.23 is lower than the values mentioned in the literature (pH 5.8-5.9) (Table 1). The variations in pH are due to the organic acids. pH variations evolve in a highly significant manner over the period of time from the harvest, towards a slight alkalinization (p < 0.01), this means to say that the pH increases appreciably over the months of collection.
Table 1: Chemical composition and energy value
2. Lipid and Energy Value
2.1. Total Lipids
The Açai is a caloric food due to its percentage of fatty material, the main Açai component in quantitative terms. A man between 18 and 29 years of age, weighing 65 kilos and engaged in average physical activity needs approximately 3,000 kcal/day. The daily consumption of one liter of Açai with 12.5% dry matter, contains 65.8g of lipids, which corresponds to 66% of the daily lipid ingestion requirement (100g) (CNNB, 1996). This amount supplies 592 kcal of the 657 total kcal contained in one liter of Açai, that is to say, over 20% of the daily energy contribution for an adult man. This gives it an energy value comparable to whole cow’s milk (614 kcal/l) (USDA, 1998). This energy value is partly responsible for the success of Açai among the youngsters in the Southern region of Brazil.
The lipids content does not present any significant difference among trees, shoots and conditions (p > 0.05) (Table 2). However, it diminishes almost significantly during the course of the harvest (p = 0.06).
Thus the lipids represent around 90% of the calories contained in this beverage. Thanks to the good profile the oil presents (see the following point) the consumption of Açai assures taking good advantage of mono- and poly-unsaturated fatty acids.
Table 2: Nutrients
2.2. Profile of Liposoluble Components
Table 3 presents the complete profile of fatty acids, sterols and tocopherols and tocotrienols in olive oil and Açai. According to the nutritional recommendations in force, the ideal profile of an oil should have 50% of mono-unsaturated, a maximum of 33% of saturated and the remainder of poly-unsaturated fatty acids (CNNB, 1996), which contributes towards giving olive oil a good reputation. In Table 3 it can be seen that, in the set of palms analyzed, oleic acid is the most abundant, followed by palmitic and linoleic acids. Euterpe oleracea presents a particularly interesting profile from the nutritional point of view, which gives it an important advantage. However, a weak content of linolenic acid is pointed out, an indispensable fatty acid , whose recommendation for an adult (CNNB, 1996) is established at 0.5-1% of the diet energy (1.6 – 3.3 g/day).
The main sterol in all the examples examined is beta-sitosterol with maximum values for olive oil and Açai (Table 3). The proportions of cholesterol are small.
The total amount of alpha-tocopherol present in Açai is high (45 mg/100 g M.S.). This high vitamin E content must be related to that of the unsaturated fatty acids, the first generally being related to the second. Vitamin E (tocopherols), thermo-resistant, is an important natural anti-oxidant that protects the lipids (de Luca & Suttie, 1969). The daily vitamin E recommendation is from 5-15 mg for an adult (CNNB, 1996), which makes one perceives that the Açai may be considered to be an excellent source.
Table 3: Liposoluble Components:
3. Proteins
3.1. Total Nitrogenous Matter
In comparison with other fruits, the cabbage palm presents a high protein content: the mean total nitrogenous matter content found in 109 samples is 10.05% in relation to the dry matter (Table 2).
3.2. Amino Acid Profile
To assess the nutritional value of the Açai protein (Table 4), comparison with egg protein was chosen, which constitutes a classical reference for human feeding. The amino acid contents dosed in these different foods were expressed in relative proportions to enable them to be compared. With regard to the amino acid profiles, it is pointed out that only that of Açai is very similar to that of egg; the primary limiting amino acid is metionine (chemical index of 60%); the secondary limiting amino acid is lisine and has an excess of phenylalanine 1 and treonine.
Table 4: Aminoacids:
1 - The chemical index of a protein is defined by the ratio, expressed in %, between the amounts of primary limiting amino acid found in the studied food and that found in the reference food.
Study Conducted by: Laboratório Catarinense S/A a FDA Certified Pharmaceutical Laboratory
Composition Results Obtained
There are seven bromatological parameters studied with reference to juices done in the past. However, in this study we are now showing the power of a pure extract of Acai berry: pH, fatty matter, total nitrogenous matter, sugars, fibers, total ash and anthocyanines. The results are presented in a summarized form in Table 2.
1. pH
The cabbage palm beverage is a hardly acid drink, as its mean pH is 5.23. The mean pH of 5.23 is lower than the values mentioned in the literature (pH 5.8-5.9) (Table 1). The variations in pH are due to the organic acids. pH variations evolve in a highly significant manner over the period of time from the harvest, towards a slight alkalinization (p < 0.01), this means to say that the pH increases appreciably over the months of collection.
Table 1: Chemical composition and energy value
2. Lipid and Energy Value
2.1. Total Lipids
The Açai is a caloric food due to its percentage of fatty material, the main Açai component in quantitative terms. A man between 18 and 29 years of age, weighing 65 kilos and engaged in average physical activity needs approximately 3,000 kcal/day. The daily consumption of one liter of Açai with 12.5% dry matter, contains 65.8g of lipids, which corresponds to 66% of the daily lipid ingestion requirement (100g) (CNNB, 1996). This amount supplies 592 kcal of the 657 total kcal contained in one liter of Açai, that is to say, over 20% of the daily energy contribution for an adult man. This gives it an energy value comparable to whole cow’s milk (614 kcal/l) (USDA, 1998). This energy value is partly responsible for the success of Açai among the youngsters in the Southern region of Brazil.
The lipids content does not present any significant difference among trees, shoots and conditions (p > 0.05) (Table 2). However, it diminishes almost significantly during the course of the harvest (p = 0.06).
Thus the lipids represent around 90% of the calories contained in this beverage. Thanks to the good profile the oil presents (see the following point) the consumption of Açai assures taking good advantage of mono- and poly-unsaturated fatty acids.
Table 2: Nutrients
2.2. Profile of Liposoluble Components
Table 3 presents the complete profile of fatty acids, sterols and tocopherols and tocotrienols in olive oil and Açai. According to the nutritional recommendations in force, the ideal profile of an oil should have 50% of mono-unsaturated, a maximum of 33% of saturated and the remainder of poly-unsaturated fatty acids (CNNB, 1996), which contributes towards giving olive oil a good reputation. In Table 3 it can be seen that, in the set of palms analyzed, oleic acid is the most abundant, followed by palmitic and linoleic acids. Euterpe oleracea presents a particularly interesting profile from the nutritional point of view, which gives it an important advantage. However, a weak content of linolenic acid is pointed out, an indispensable fatty acid , whose recommendation for an adult (CNNB, 1996) is established at 0.5-1% of the diet energy (1.6 – 3.3 g/day).
The main sterol in all the examples examined is beta-sitosterol with maximum values for olive oil and Açai (Table 3). The proportions of cholesterol are small.
The total amount of alpha-tocopherol present in Açai is high (45 mg/100 g M.S.). This high vitamin E content must be related to that of the unsaturated fatty acids, the first generally being related to the second. Vitamin E (tocopherols), thermo-resistant, is an important natural anti-oxidant that protects the lipids (de Luca & Suttie, 1969). The daily vitamin E recommendation is from 5-15 mg for an adult (CNNB, 1996), which makes one perceives that the Açai may be considered to be an excellent source.
Table 3: Liposoluble Components:
3. Proteins
3.1. Total Nitrogenous Matter
In comparison with other fruits, the cabbage palm presents a high protein content: the mean total nitrogenous matter content found in 109 samples is 10.05% in relation to the dry matter (Table 2).
3.2. Amino Acid Profile
To assess the nutritional value of the Açai protein (Table 4), comparison with egg protein was chosen, which constitutes a classical reference for human feeding. The amino acid contents dosed in these different foods were expressed in relative proportions to enable them to be compared. With regard to the amino acid profiles, it is pointed out that only that of Açai is very similar to that of egg; the primary limiting amino acid is metionine (chemical index of 60%); the secondary limiting amino acid is lisine and has an excess of phenylalanine 1 and treonine.
Table 4: Aminoacids:
1 - The chemical index of a protein is defined by the ratio, expressed in %, between the amounts of primary limiting amino acid found in the studied food and that found in the reference food.
posted by Matthew Jamieson at 6:41 PM
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