Systemic characterization of pupunha (Bactris gasipaes) flour with views of polyphenol content on cytotoxicity and protein in vitro digestion

Although the Amazonian fruit pupunha (Bactris gasipaes) is rich in phenolic compounds, it is rarely consumed. Application could be expanded by transforming it into products with a longer shelf life. Therefore, the objective of this study was to produce pupunha flour (PF) from fruits harvested at different locations, characterize the flours using various physicochemical analyses and spectroscopic techniques, and evaluate its cytotoxic effects and in vitro protein digestion. PF were classified using principal component analysis and some dependencies on origin were detected. PF impaired protein digestion in vitro, probably due to the high content of phenolic compounds. The cytotoxicity results in L929 cells showed that the flours had cytotoxic potential. Therefore, it could be concluded that PF presented interesting physicochemical properties for its application in food development. However, the negative and undesirable effects on protein in vitro digestion and L929 cell viability indicated a potential risk for its use.

Automated summary

The objective of this study was to produce pupunha flour (PF) from fruits harvested at different locations and evaluate its physicochemical properties, cytotoxicity, and protein digestion effects. PF impaired protein digestion in vitro and showed cytotoxic potential on L929 cells, indicating both potential for application in food development and potential risks.