Characterization of Mineral Content in Fruits of Northeast Agrobiodiversity of Brazil

Mineral profiles of eleven fruits from the northeastern Brazilian agrobiodiversity have been determined. Samples of cajui, murici, pequi, jenipapo, mangaba, bacuri, caja, umbu-caja, umbu, pitanga and araca fruits were digested and element content determined by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES). The accuracy of method was performed using SRM 2338 and all elements were statistically similar with 95% of confidence. Potassium is present in higher amounts in the edible part of the fruits, ranging from 107 to 402 mg 100 g(-1), followed by P in the range 16 - 150 mg 100 g(-1). Iron, presents the lowest content, ranges from 0.07 to 1.1 mg 100 g(-1). Caja and umbu-caja fruits are noteworthy sources of P. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Principal Component Analysis were performed in order to check similarities between the fruit groups according to the trace element content. The data provide a source of information characterizing the Brazilian biodiversity and it may help the nutritional intake of these fruits in the region.