Avaliação do potencial antioxidante e nutricional do Jucá (Caesalpinia ferrea Var, Huber)

Abstract

The northeast of Brazil is still undergoing many episodes of drought and food shortages. Part of this population has a deficiency of nutrients. Plants like jucá, Caesalpinia ferrea, are very common in this region and can contribute as a nutritional supplement. With this purpose of supplementing the foodstuff of the poorest people, this work studied the antioxidant potential of jucá, as well as the presence of anti-nutritional factors. In determining the antioxidant activity was used the method of Saint-Cricq of Gaulejac et al. (1999), based on the reduction of DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl), using vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol), concentration of 50 ug/ml as control. The total phenols were quantified by the Folin-Ciocalteu method (Singleton and Rossi, 1965). The total flavonoids were measured second Ordon, Gomez and Vattuone (2006). Nitrates were analyzed according to the methodology of Cataldo et al. (1975). Oxalic acid was determined according to AOAC (1990). In DPPH analysis of leaves and pods were tested concentrations of 1, 10, 25, 50, 125, 250 and 500 ug/ml of hydroalcoholic extract (EHA). In EHA of leaves was observed percentage of inhibition of 17.07 ± 1.54; 48.75 ± 0.91; 81.99 ± 1.93; 95.51 ± 0.41; 94.77 ± 0.13; 93.4536 92.5889 ± 0.34 and ± 1.31 for the respective dilutions tested. Vitamin E showed 94.31 ± 8.2% inhibition. In EHA of pods, inhibition was of 27.75 ± 3.52; 92.68 ± 1.7; 93.28 ± 0.19; 92.83 ± 0.68; 91.92 ± 6.04; 84.40 ± 2.69; 47.08 ± 12.05, respectively for each dilution, and vitamin E, with percentage inhibition of 93.03 ± 2.75. EHA of pods presented antioxidant activity already at concentration of 1 mg/mL (% inhibition of 27.75 ± 3.52), realizing that from the concentration of 125 mg/ml the percentage of inhibition tends to decrease. Leaves showed total phenolic content (mg GAE/g of vegetable drug) of 47.10 ± 1.31 and the pods, 230.57 ± 13.79. The averages of total flavonoids (ug / ml) were 188.26 for the leaves and 36.33 for the pods. The nitrate levels were 10.8974 and 56.0256 ug NO3/g, for leaves and pods, respectively. Oxalic acid values (mg/100g) were 5771.70 to 4489.10 for leaves and pods, respectively. The jucá is a modest studied specie, not too much is known about its composition and properties. It is important to carry out more detailed analysis.