Acai (Euterpe oleraceae) 'BRS Para': A tropical fruit source of antioxidant dietary fiber and high antioxidant capacity oil

This article reports a study of the concentrations of dietary fiber (DF) and antioxidant capacity in fruits (pulp and oil) of a new acai (Euterpe oleraceae) cultivar-'BRS-Para', with a view to determine the possibility of using it as a source of antioxidants in functional foods or dietary supplements. Results show that 'BRS-Para' acai fruits has a high content of DF (71% dry matter) and oil (20.82%) as well as a high antioxidant capacity in both defatted matter and oil. 'BRS-Para' Acai fruits can be considered as an excellent source of antioxidant dietary fiber. Antioxidant capacity of acai 'BRS-Para' oil by DPPH assay was higher (EC50=646.3 g/g DPPH) than extra virgin olive oil (EC50=2057.27 g/g DPPH). These features provide acai 'BRS-Para' fruits with considerable potential for nutritional and health applications. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.