Acrocomia aculeata fruits from three regions in Costa Rica: an assessment of biometric parameters, oil content and oil fatty acid composition to evaluate industrial potential
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Fecha
2020
Tipo
artículo original
Autores
Alfaro Solís, Jose David
Montoya Arroyo, Alexander
Jiménez García, Víctor
Arnáez Serrano, Elizabeth
Pérez Chávez, Jason
Vetter, Walter
Frank, Jan
Lewandowski, Iris
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Resumen
Due to increased global demand for vegetable oils, diversification of the supply chain with
sustainable sources is necessary. Acrocomia aculeata
has recently gained attention as a multi-purpose,
sustainable crop for oil production. However, the
information necessary for effective selection of
promising varieties for agricultural production is
lacking. The aim of this study was to assess variability
in fruit morphology and oil composition of individual
Acrocomia aculeata plants growing wild in different
climatic regions of Costa Rica. Fruits at the same
ripening stage were collected at three locations, and
biometric features, oil content, fatty acid composition
of oils from kernels and pulp, as well as fiber
composition of husks were determined. Biometric
parameters showed high variability among the regions
assessed. Moreover, oil content and relative proportions of unsaturated fatty acids were higher at the most
tropical location, whereas lauric acid content was
lowest under these conditions, indicating a potential
environmental effect on oil composition. Pulp oil
content correlated positively with annual precipitation
and relative humidity, but no clear relation to temperature was observed. The oil chemical composition was similar to that reported for Elaeis guineensis, suggesting that Acrocomia aculeata from Costa
Rica may be a suitable alternative for industrial
applications currently based on African palm oil.
Analysis of husks as a coproduct revealed the possibility of obtaining materials with high lignin and low
water and ash contents that could be used as a solid
bioenergy source. In conclusion, Acrocomia aculeata
oil is a promising alternative for industrial applications
currently based on African palm oil and byproducts of
its oil production could find additional use as a
renewable energy source.
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Palabras clave
Coyol palm, Macauba palm, Multipurpose crop, Fruit biometric parameters, Vegetable oil, Fatty acid composition