“Yellow Araçá” flour (Psidium cattleyanum cv. Ya-cy) in cereal bars - nutritional and functional potential

Abstract Yellow Araçá (Psidium cattleyanum cv. Ya-cy) is a Brazilian native fruit that can be consumed fresh or turned into food products. However, distribution and consumption of fresh fruits are still limited due to faulty post-harvest handling. Thus, the present study aimed to evaluate the nutritional and functional potential of fresh Yellow Araçá fruit, turned into flour, in formulations of cereal bars. Ripe fruits preserved higher nutritional and functional indexes, presenting high antioxidant potential. As observed during the sensory analysis, addition up to 20% of fruit flour into the cereal bar was well accepted by the consumers. The cereal bar showed significant levels of omega-6 (n-6) and omega-9 (n-9), and minerals nutrients such as iron, magnesium, potassium, zinc. Significant levels of phenolic compounds and low levels of sodium and saturated fatty, free from trans fatty acids, were also observed. The cereal bar presented high amount of crude fiber content, indicating a high potential for use as a functional food.摘要 黄阿萨伊（Yellow Araçá，Psidium cattleyanum cv. Ya-cy）是一种原产于巴西的水果，既可鲜食，亦可加工为各类食品。然而，受限于不当的采后处理方式，其鲜果的流通与消费仍存在较大限制。为此，本研究旨在评估鲜食黄阿萨伊果及其制备的果粉在谷物棒配方中的营养与功能潜力。研究结果表明，成熟果实具备更优异的营养与功能指标，拥有较高的抗氧化潜能。感官分析显示，在谷物棒配方中添加最高20%的果粉时，仍可获得消费者的良好接受度。该谷物棒含有丰富的ω-6（n-6）与ω-9（n-9）脂肪酸，以及铁、镁、钾、锌等矿物质营养素；同时还含有大量酚类化合物，钠与饱和脂肪酸含量较低，且不含反式脂肪酸。此外，该谷物棒的粗纤维含量较高，具备开发为功能性食品的良好潜力。