Oxidative Stability of Tree Nut Oils

The oxidative stability of selected tree nut oils was examined. The oils of almond; Brazil nut; hazelnut; pecan; pine nut; pistachio; and walnut were extracted using two solvent extraction systems; namely; hexane and chloroform/methanol. The chloroform/methanol system afforded a higher oil yield for each tree nut type examined (pine nut had the highest oil content; […]

Aspergillus nomius; an important aflatoxin producer in Brazil nuts?

The relation between aflatoxin B1 and G1 was examined in samples from 199 aflatoxin contaminated lots of in-shell Brazil nut imported to Europe. In most of the samples; the relation between B1 and G1 were approximately 50/50 indicating that the major responsible aflatoxin producing fungi cannot be Aspergillus flavus; which produces solely B aflatoxins. Fungal […]

Growth of aflatoxigenic moulds and aflatoxin formation in Brazil nuts

The present study aimed at gaining more knowledge of the growth of aflatoxigenic moulds and aflatoxin production in Brazil nuts in relation to humidity conditions and storage time. For this purpose; the growth of aflatoxigenic moulds and the increase in aflatoxin levels in Brazil nuts was studied in the laboratory at temperature and humidity conditions […]

A survey of the bacteriological quality of preroasted peanut; almond; cashew; hazelnut; and Brazil nut kernels received into three Australian nut-processing facilities over a period of 3 years

There is little information about bacteriological quality of preroasted kernels available in the public domain. An investigation of the bacteriological quality of preroasted peanut; almond; cashew; hazelnut; and Brazil nut kernels received into three Australian nut-processing facilities was performed over a period of 3 years. A total of 836 samples were analyzed for aerobic plate […]

Brazil nuts: an effective way to improve selenium status.

BACKGROUND: Brazil nuts provide a rich natural source of selenium; yet no studies have investigated the bioavailability of selenium in humans. OBJECTIVE: We investigated the efficacy of Brazil nuts in increasing selenium status in comparison with selenomethionine. DESIGN: A randomized controlled trial was conducted with 59 New Zealand adults. Participants consumed 2 Brazil nuts thought […]

Fatty acid profile; tocopherol; squalene and phytosterol content of brazil; pecan; pine; pistachio and cashew nuts

Nuts contain bioactive constituents that elicit cardio-protective effects including phytosterols; tocopherols and squalene. The objective of the present study was to determine the total oil content; peroxide value; fatty acid composition and levels of tocopherols; squalene and phytosterols in oil extracted from freshly ground brazil; pecan; pine; pistachio and cashew nuts. The total oil content […]

Selenium and Aflatoxin levels in raw Brazil nuts from the Amazon Basin.

Whereas selenium (Se) is an important antioxidant in human metabolism to prevent cancer; aflatoxins are highly carcinogenic. Brazil nuts from Eastern and Western Amazon regions were evaluated to find any relationship between Se and aflatoxins levels. A total of 80 (in-shell and shelled) nuts samples were collected directly from different forest sites and analyzed for […]

Elemental composition and chemical characteristics of five edible nuts (almond; Brazil; pecan; macadamia and walnut) consumed in Southern Africa.

The total elemental concentrations and proximate chemical composition of five different tree nuts; almond (Prunus dulcus); Brazil (Bertholletia excelsa); pecan (Carya pecan); macadamia (Macadamia integrifolia) and walnut (Juglans nigra) that are consumed in South African households were investigated. In addition; six physicochemical properties of the extracted nut oils; namely acid value; iodine value; saponification value; […]

Purification; crystallization and initial crystallographic characterization of brazil-nut allergen Ber e 2. Acta Crystallogr Sect F Struct Biol Cryst Commun

Peanut and tree-nut allergies have attracted considerable attention because of their frequency and their lifelong persistence. Brazil-nut (Bertholletia excelsa) allergies have been well documented and the 11S legumin-like seed storage protein Ber e 2 (excelsin) is one of the two known brazil-nut allergens. In this study; Ber e 2 was extracted from brazil-nut kernels and […]