Açaí (Euterpe oleracea Martius) is a typical palm tree from the Amazon, growing spontaneously in states of Pará, Amazonas, Amapá and Maranhão. It has been highlighted by the potential of its products, especially because of the economic importance for the regional fruit growing. The açaí fruits are very appreciated by their pulp flavour. In the açaí pulp, there is a significant amount of lipids, around 53%, in a dry basis, turning out to be an excellent source of essential fatty acids. The main purpose of the present work was to establish the fatty acid content in the lipid fraction of açaí pulp using high resolution gaseous chromatography. The açaí oil was obtained by enzymatic technology in water has been indicated as an alternative for vegetable oils extraction from pulp of fruits. A significant difference was not observed in the composition of the fatty acids present in açaí oil obtained from either process. In both cases, the oil is high in monounsaturated fatty acids (68% to 71%) and in polyunsaturated fatty acids (7.8% to 10.6%).
açaí oil; fatty acids; enzymatic technology
