Seeds of Archontophoenix alexandrae, extracted from fruits collected at the Cantareira State Park, São Paulo, Brazil, were analyzed for chemical composition, oil fatty acids profiles and mineral content aiming to evaluate their nutritional potential. High values of dietary fibers (38.80% w/w) and humidity (47.72% w/w) were found. Palmitic acid (19.80% w/w) was predominant among the saturated oil fraction, and oleic (42% w/w) and linoleic (13% w/w) among the insaturated oil fraction. The presence of alpha-tocopherol (vitamin E) equivalent to 4.0mg 100g-1 and delta-tocopherol (1.8 mg 100g-1) confers some oxidative stability to the oil. Even containing minerals such as K, P, S, Ca, Zn, Se and Cu, lipids and dietary fibers, the presence of Pb (2.74mg kg-1) makes its consume unviable for avifauna, as well as it indicates anthropic contamination at the collect spot.
palms; centesimal composition; fatty acids; tocopherols and inorganics elements
