Abstract Sunflower is one of the most important oilseed crops and produces a high-quality edible oil. Balance of fatty acids in standard sunflower oil shows preponderance of linoleic rather than oleic acid, and conditions during seed development, such as temperature, changes the oleic/linoleic ratio of the oil. This work aimed to evaluate the environmental effect on fatty acid profile in a group of standard and high oleic varieties and hybrids. Seeds were produced during regular season crop and during off-season crop featuring different temperatures from anthesis to maturity. Fatty-acid composition was determined by gas chromatography. Levels of oleic acid, in standard oil genotypes, raised as the crop developed in warmer environment while levels of linoleic acid decreased, and the opposite was observed when the crop was grown under lower temperature. High oleic genotypes were less sensitive to environment switching and showed lower variation on fatty-acid composition.

The present study had the purpose of evaluating the profile of fatty acids and the total alteration of cottonseed, sunflower and palm oils brought about during discontinued frying processes of cassava frozen chips. An increase in the percentage of saturated fatty acids and a decrease in polyunsaturated fatty acids was observed, regardless of the type of oil used. With regard to the oil's global alteration, the results showed that palm oil, the most saturated one, underwent less alteration. However, none of the oils presented total polar compound values above the limits prescribed.

Amêndoas cruas de Sapucaia (Lecythis pisonis Camb.) colhidas no Brasil foram analisadas para se determinar a composição centesimal, o perfil de aminoácidos de suas proteínas, a digestibilidade protéica in vitro e a presença de fatores antinutricionais, para avaliar o seu potencial como complemento alimentar protéico. As amêndoas apresentaram quantidades adequadas de aminoácidos essenciais, ácidos graxos e minerais; no entanto, baixo teor de fibra foi observado. No presente estudo, a presença de lectinas ou inibidores de proteinases, quando detectada, apresentou baixos níveis. A digestibilidade in vitro de globulinas, in natura ou aquecidas, por proteinases digestivas de mamíferos foi realizada utilizando-se tripsina + quimotripsina + peptidase, obtendo-se valores aproximados de 71,5 e 73,5%, respectivamente. Estes resultados sugerem que as amêndoas de sapucaia podem ser utilizadas como complemento alimentar de proteínas, sendo um potencial agente nutricional.

Sapucaia (Lecythis pisonis Camb.) raw nuts collected from Brazil were analyzed to determine the proximate composition, amino acid profile of protein fractions, in vitro protein digestibility and antinutritional factors in order to evaluate their potential as a protein alimentary complement. The nuts contained adequate amounts of essential amino acids, fatty acids and minerals. In the present study, no hemagglutinating or inhibitory activities were observed in any of the samples investigated, indicating low or non-detectable levels of proteinase inhibitors or lectins in the samples. In vitro digestibility of in natura and heated nut globulins by mammalian digestive proteinases was carried out using trypsin + chymotrypsin + peptidase, with resulting mean values of approximately 70.30 and 71.35%, respectively. Taken together, the results suggest that sapucaia nuts may provide a new source of protein to use as a potential nutritional agent.