The Butia capitata palm tree produce a very aromatic fruit named "coquinho-azedo", which freeze pulp is frequently used to produce agreeable juice in north of Minas Gerais, Brazil. "Coquinho-azedo" kernel contains a nut that is not frequently explored. The purpose of the present study was the chemical characterization of "coquinho-azedo" nut to evaluate the possibilities of its use. The moisture, lipids, ash and fiber contents were determined by gravimetric methods. The mineral profile was characterized by inductively coupled plasma spectrophotometer and the fatty acids profile was characterized by gas chromatography. The coquinho-azedo nut presented 9,9 % of moisture, 57,8 % of total lipid, 25,8 % of neutral detergent fiber, 17,6 % of acid detergent fiber and 1,6 % of ash. The fat from coquinho-azedo nut presented high content of lauric acid (42,1 %), followed by oleic acid (16,9 %). The saturated fatty acids predominated (78,9 %), mainly the medium chain length fatty acids (58,3 %).
Cerrado; Palm tree; oil characterization; fatty acids
