Fuente: Revista Ceres Costa, Lyvia Daim;

Cardoso, Patrick Da Silva;

Santos, Luis Fernandes Pereira;

Miranda, Bruna Melo;

Otero, Deborah Murowaniecki;



ABSTRACT Pachira aquatica Aubl., popularly known in Brazil as Monguba, is an unconventional food plant (UFP) found in tropical regions of Central and South America. In the Amazon region, its seeds are traditionally consumed boiled, roasted, or fried and may also be incorporated into cakes and sweets. Despite this cultural use and the nutritional potential of its seeds, commercial exploitation remains limited. This study aims to assess physicochemical disparities between ripe and unripe Monguba seeds. In the physical characterization, the main differences were in the seeds: unripe seeds exhibited a higher mucilage content (1.3 g) and denser pericarp (4.5 g), while ripe seeds presented more pulp (12.9 g) and darker coloration. Chemically, ripe and unripe seeds contained high lipid and protein levels (35.6–32.5% and 13.0–12.7%, respectively). Ripe seeds showed an increase in carbohydrates (45.8%) and minerals, like calcium (82.3 mg.100 g-1), magnesium (65.2 mg.100 g-1), manganese (1.4 mg.100 g-1), and zinc (2.1 mg.100 g-1), while unripe seeds showed higher acidity (23.9%) and lower °Brix (12.8). FTIR spectra revealed differences in polysaccharide hydrolysis and cell wall lignification during ripening. These findings emphasize the importance of exploring the various stages of plant development.