Chemical and functional properties of Brosimum alicastrum seed power (Mayan nut, Ramón nut)

CHEMICAL AND FUNCTIONAL PROPERTIES OF BROSIMUM ALICASTRUM SEED POWDER (MAYA NUT, RAMÓN NUT) Brosimum alicastrum is a member of the Moraceae family of edible botanicals. The fruit from this tree contains an edible seed that may be dried or roasted, ground into powder and incorporated into baked goods. Although researchers have claimed that B. alicastrum seed powders have high nutritional value, there is very little published evidence to support these claims. Moreover, little is known about the functional properties of B. alicastrum seed powders in traditional baked goods. Thus, the purpose of this research was to determine the nutritional composition of B. alicastrum seed powder and the feasibility of incorporating this seed powder into a sugar snap cookie formulation. A series of experiments were conducted to determine baseline nutritional composition data for B. alicastrum seeds from two different locations, one in Guatemala and the other in Nicaragua.

This was done in order to assess any differences in the composition of the seed based on harvest location. This research also serves to determine if there is a change in nutritional composition when the seeds are roasted to a specific temperature. Nutritional differences were found in B. alicastrum seed powder as an effect of the country in which the seeds were harvested (Guatemala or Nicaragua), and as an effect of roasting the seeds. Seeds from Nicaragua were found to have a more favorable nutritional profile than seeds from Guatemala. Roasting generally increased the relative concentrations of nutrients, with the exception of minerals, which remained constant, and amino acids, which decreased. iii Unroasted and roasted Nicaraguan B. alicastrum seed powder was incorporated into a sugar snap cookie formulation in equal quantities with white wheat flour. These cookies were analyzed for their nutritional composition, and compared to control cookies baked with 100% all-purpose white wheat flour. Additions of B. alicastrum seed powder resulted in decreases in protein and carbohydrates, when compared to control cookies.

Cookies baked with B. alicastrum seed powder had higher levels of fat and ash when compared to control cookies. Experiments were conducted to determine the technical feasibility of incorporating B. alicastrum seed powder into a standardized laboratory sugar snap cookie formulation. This included determining if and how changes in harvest location, roasting, and level of incorporation affected the technical characteristics of the final product. As B. alicastrum seed powder replacement levels increased, cookies became darker, redder, and more yellow when compared to control cookies baked with 100% all-purpose white wheat flour. Hardness and toughness values decreased as replacement levels of B. alicastrum seed powder increased, while brittleness remained unchanged. There was no effect of county of harvest or roasting on texture values. Cookie spread factor also decreased as replacement levels of B. alicastrum seed powder increased. Country of origin or roast had no effect on spread factor values. It can be concluded that B. alicastrum seed powders are a viable indigenous replacement to wheat flour in this sugar snap cookie formulation. The small differences in nutritional and functional properties are offset by the fact that B. alicastrum seeds are an indigenous food source in Central America and one that does not have to be imported.