1. Revaluation of Cardulovica palmata Ruiz & Pav. from a nutritional and antioxidant perspective

Abstract

Cardulovica palmata is a palm containing various bioactive compounds which can be used to enhance the nutritional content of foods, with the aim of benefiting consumer health and wellbeing. Furthermore, this species can contribute to food security by enabling the development of new products with nutritional quality and safety. Therefore, the objective was to evaluate the nutritional, microbiological, and antioxidant quality of the heart of palm (cogollos) and leaves of C. palmata. Proximate chemical analysis, microbiological tests, and determination of total phenolic content, flavonoids, and antioxidant activity were performed on the heart of palm (HP) and C. palmata leaves (CL). The highest content of crude protein (10.88 %) and crude fibre (53.2 %) was observed in CL. Total phenolic content ranged from 40.57 to 46.89 mg GAE g^-1. The HP sample showed an antioxidant activity
of 30.5 mg TEAC 100 g^-1. The HP and CL samples could be used as raw materials to generate functional foods, thereby revaluing the species from a nutritional perspective.