Determination of the centesimal composition and characterization of flours from fruit seeds

Fruit seeds, common byproducts of the food industry, are generally discarded despite their potential use as a source of nutrients in the human diet. The dietetic use of the flour made from fruit seeds depends on their centesimal composition and other characteristics. In this work the centesimal compositions were determined of six fruits seeds. The flours obtained from these seeds were characterized by infrared absorption spectrometry, X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis, and low-field nuclear magnetic resonance. The protein content of the seeds ranged from a low of 10% (Surinam cherry) to a high of 32% (orange). The lipid content varied from 3% (Surinam cherry) to 39% (peach). The highest ash content was 3.9% (melon and peach). The X-ray diffraction analyses showed that the starches from jackfruit and Surinam cherry seeds presented A-type crystallinity and the thermogravimetric tests showed they were the most thermally resistant. The relaxometry studies of the hydrogen nucleus determined the mobility domains of each sample. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.