whipped butter; ucuuba butter; antidiabetic activity; antioxidant activity; cytotoxicity.
The search for new vegetable sources of oils and fats is of great interest to several industrial sectors. The butter extracted from the seeds of bati (Ochnaceae sp.) and ucuuba (Virola surinamensis) fruits are widely consumed by the local population. However, its physicochemical characteristics, bioactive properties and cytotoxicity are poorly studied. Given the above, the objective of this study was to evaluate the physical-chemical, bioactive properties and cytotoxicity of bati and ucuuba butters. Initially, the fatty acid profile was determined by gas chromatography coupled to mass spectroscopy (GC-MS) and the physical-chemical characterization of the samples. In addition, the samples were analyzed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and hydrogen nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR). The antioxidant activity was evaluated by capturing DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl-hydrazyl) and ABTS (2,2'-azinobis 3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) radicals, the profile of total phenolic components by the method Folin-Ciocalteau and the cytotoxic activity through the MTT colorimetric assay ([3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol--2yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazoline bromide]). Furthermore, in vitro antibacterial and antidiabetic activities were determined. As for the lipid profile and physical-chemical characteristics, bati butter had 66.06% of unsaturated fatty acids, with linoleic acid in greater proportion (45.36%). In ucuuba butter, a higher percentage of saturated fatty acids (85.75%) was observed, especially lauric acid (37.80%). Bati butter, therefore, had a higher iodine index (23.72 cg I2.g-1) than ucuuba butter (5.33 cg I2.g-1). Bati butter had a CFT of 76.57 mg EAG.kg-1 and ucuuba butter had a 76.25 mg EAG.kg-1. The methanolic fraction of ucuuba butter was highlighted in the in vitro antioxidant capacity in the ABTS radical capture assay, presenting an IC50 (concentration at which 50% of the radicals were inhibited) of 2.58 mg.mL-1. In addition, the two butters and their respective methanolic fractions and their insoluble precipitates did not show cytotoxic activity for CHO-K1 cell lines (Chinese hamster ovary cells) and HepG2 (Human hepatocarcinoma cell line), with cell viability greater than 70% on all samples. Bati and ucuuba butters did not inhibit the growth of Staphylococcus aureus, Burkholderia cepacia and Burkholderia multivorans at concentrations of 0.08 mg. mL-1 to 5.0 mg. mL-1. Finally, the samples showed in vitro antidiabetic activity, with inhibition of α-amylase activity of 73.83 ± 2.09% for bati butter and 51.05 ± 1.43% for ucuuba butter. Therefore, the results obtained show the potential of bati and ucuuba butters for applications in the food, cosmetics and pharmaceutical industries.