Abstract
This study aimed to obtain physicochemical characteristics and the fatty acid profile of bocaiuva nut oil and to evaluate the impact of its daily consumption on glucose, lipid, and energy metabolism in mice. The acidity content in the bocaiuva nut oil exceeded the maximum limit for crude oils (5.68 mg KOH g-1). However, the peroxide value is within the standard considered adequate for crude oils (3.33 mEq O2 kg-1). In the fatty acid profile, lauric (42.25%) and oleic (23.96%), saturated and monounsaturated, respectively, stand out. After 90 days of in vivo experimentation, the administered oil doses had not influenced the animals' food intake and body weight. Regarding the biochemical parameters, only the non-HDL fraction showed a significant difference, considering that this parameter represents the sum of atherogenic lipoproteins directly linked to atherogenic cholesterol. However, there was no statistical difference between the groups regarding histological changes in the liver, showing that the bocaiuva oil does not cause considerable damage to the liver, even though it is saturated oil. Results show that daily consumption of bocaiuva nut oil did not produce metabolic changes in mice.
Keywords:
Brazilian Cerrado; fatty acids; lauric acid; biochemical parameters