CARACTERÍSTICAS FÍSICAS E QUÍMICO-NUTRICIONAIS DE FRUTOS DE PEQUIZEIRO (Caryocar coriaceum WITTM.) EM POPULAÇÕES NATURAIS DA REGIÃO

ABSTRACT – The objective of this work was to evaluate physical and chemical-nutritional characteristics of fruits from six pequi populations of natural occurrence in the states of Maranhao and Piaui (Mid-North region of Brazil). Fruits were collected at the maturity stage (fruits lying on the ground), at the 2008 har-vest. The following physical characteristics of fruits were analyzed: average mass, peel average mass, stone average mass, kernel average mass, pulp percentage, fruit length/fruit mean diameter ratio, stone length/stone mean diameter ratio, kernel length/kernel mean diameter ratio and peel average thickness. In the pulp and kernel the following chemical-nutritional characteristics: moisture, fat, crude protein, crude fiber, ash, total carbohydrates, energy and minerals (P, K, Ca, Mg, Mn, Cu, Zn and Fe) were analyzed. The data were submitted to the variance analysis and population means were compared by Scott-Knott grouping test at 5%. It was observed a high phenotypic variability among populations for most analyzed traits. Both pulp and kernel are rich in nutritional terms, being the kernel, however, much richer. On average, the population of Alto Longa, from the state of Piaui, is a promising source of variability for most physical and chemical-nutritional characters studied. Index terms: Native fruit tree, Caryocar coriaceum, genetic resources, phenotypic variability.