Physicochemical and chemical characterization and obtaining and of flour of fruit-of-wolf (Solanum lycocarpum A.St-Hil)

Abstract

The Brazilian population has more and more sought alternative medicines, reflecting significant increases in the consumption of phytotherapeutics in the latest years. A number of these products are utilized in an empirical manner, as it is the case of the plant species Solanum lycocarpum A.St-Hil, known popularly aslobeira, a part of its pulp utilized in the control of glycemia in patients with diabetes mellitus. In this context, it was aimed to prepare a fruit-of-wolf pulp flour, compare with the flour of the same fruit which is sold in capsules in the pharmacies of Lavras-MG, evaluating in terms of physicochemical and chemical characteristics and to identify chemical compounds which may be involved in the control of glycemia in diabetic patients. The fruits utilized in this study were collected from a plant native to the grazing land area of the Animal Science Department of the Federal University of Lavras, at the green maturation stage. Those fruit were taken to the Biochemistry laboratory of the Chemistry Department for the obtaining of the flour by utilizing a particular methodology, the capsules were purchased from a pharmacy of Lavras and the soluble starch was obtained from a commercial laboratory. These three samples were submitted to the physicochemical and chemical analyses: such melting point, infrared, solubility test, total soluble solids, reducing and non-reducing sugars, total starch, resistant starch, phenolic compounds, soluble and total pectin in the Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, laboratories of the DQI/UFLA. The experimental design utilized was the completely randomized with seven replicates. The flour of the fruit-of-wolf
produced in the laboratory of the DQI/UFLA stood out for the most of the constituents analyzed, this is an indication that the maturation stage of the fruit-of-wolf and the method of obtaining flour are essential steps in the production of the flour, therefore, they should be worked carefully. The flours presented chemical constituents as pectin and resistant starch that can be related to hypoglycemiants and hypocholesterolemics effects, wich are assigned to them.