BURITI (MAURITIA-VINIFERA MART), A VERY R ICH SOURCE OF PROVITAMIN-A

The carotenoid composition and vitamin A value of ''buriti'' (Mauritia vinifera Mart.), a popular palm fruit from Northern Brazil, were dete rmined. Of the nine carotenoids identified, eight were carotenes (13-c is-alpha-carotene, alpha-carotene, 13-cis-beta-carotene, beta-carotene , 9-cis-beta-carotene, zeta-carotene, beta-Zeacarotene and gamma-carot ene) and only one was a xanthophyll (zeaxanthin) The provitamins A bet a-carotene, alpha-carotene and gamma-carotene were the main pigments, representing 70, 16 and 7% of the total carotenoid content (513 +/- 30 mu g/g). With mean vitamin A values of 6,992 and 6,489 RE/100 g, calc ulated with and without isomer separation, respectively, ''buriti'' pr oved to be one the richest sources of provitamin A.