PHYSICOCHEMICAL CHARACTERIZATION, CYTOTOXICITY AND
BIOACTIVE PROPERTIES OF SAPUCAIA NUT OIL (Lecythis pisonis)
Lecythis pisonis, α-amylase, α-glucosidase, amyloglucosidase, antioxidant, Candida albicans.
Lecythis pisonis, popularly known as sapucaia, is a plant species widely distributed in
Brazil. Its seeds, leaves and stem are traditionally used to treat diabetes, coughs, muscle pain
and itching, among other conditions. The aim of this study was to evaluate the physicochemical
characteristics, cytotoxicity and bioactive properties of sapucaia nut oil. The oil was
characterized using the techniques of hydrogen nuclear magnetic resonance and gas
chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry, revealing a high content of unsaturated fatty
acids, especially linoleic (53%) and oleic (25%) acids. The characterization also included
Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and the evaluation of physical-chemical
parameters such as moisture, acidity, peroxide, saponification, iodine and density, all of which
confirmed the presence of unsaturated fatty acid chains and attested to the quality of the oil. In
addition, thermogravimetric analysis (TG/DTA) indicated high thermal stability, with
decomposition starting at 360.63°C. No cytotoxic activity was found in CHO-K1 (Chinese
hamster ovary cells) and HepG2 (human hepatocarcinoma cell line) cells. The oil had a total
phenolic concentration (TPC) of 291.77 µg EAG.g-1 and showed antioxidant activity against
ABTS radicals (2,2'-azinobis 3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) of 4.28 µmol TE.g-1 and
DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) of 14.84 mMol TE.g-1 . The total antioxidant capacity
(CAT) of the methanolic fraction of the oil was 20.51 mg AA.g-1 . Sapucaia nut oil also showed
in vitro inhibitory capacity against the enzymes involved in carbohydrate digestion α-amylase
(94.01%), α-glucosidase (98.03%) and amyloglucosidase (84.88%). In addition, it showed
antifungal activity against Candida albicans with a minimum inhibitory concentration of 10
mg/mL. The results of this study contribute to understanding the physicochemical
characteristics, biological activities and potential applications of sapucaia oil, with the aim of
disseminating knowledge and encouraging interest in the food, pharmaceutical and cosmetics
industries. In addition, the aim is to enhance the value of the production chain, boost the local
economy and promote the preservation of the species, generating income opportunities for the
producing regions.