Amazon oilseeds: Chemistry and antioxidant activity of patawa (Oenocarpus bataua Mart.)

Abstract

The Amazon oilseeds, especially from native palm trees are significant species belonging to the Amazon landscape and culture. The Amazon species produce oil with great potential to generate valuable medicines, cosmetics, nutraceuticals and energy. The Oenocarpus bataua (patawa) is an edible species and from its fruits is produced the "vinho de patauá", a well-known beverage, considered very nutritive and energetic. Fresh fruits collected nearby Manaus-AM, were separated into peel, pulp and seeds. The methanolic extracts from pulp and seeds were evaluated in different antioxidant assays and both extracts were considered active. The seed extract showed antioxidant activity compared to the positive control (quercetin) in the radical scavenging-DPPH assay. The pulp extract were fractionated guided by TLC-antioxidant analysis that led to the isolation of the stilbene, piceatannol. This is the first report of an isolated compound from patawa. Piceatannol is considered a bioactive compound and in some cases was considered more active than resveratrol, a well-known bioactive compound. These results showed the great potential of patawa to produce nutraceutical products.