Physicochemical, Nutritional and Functional Properties of Neltuma affinis Pod Powders: a Novel Ingredient for Food Applications

Abstract

The pods of Neltuma species have been traditionally used as nutrient-rich sources of food ingredients. However, Neltuma affinis, a native species of South America, remains understudied. This work aimed to produce and characterize powders from different pod fractions (specifically, the endocarp-seeds (ESF) and epicarp-mesocarp (EMF) fractions) by dry grinding, evaluating their physicochemical, nutritional, functional, and cytotoxic properties. The powders showed distinct physical characteristics, including reddish-yellow colorations, average particle size of 564 ± 8 μm in ESF and 394 ± 12 μm in EMF, good flowability, and high particle dispersion. Both fractions were high in total dietary fibre (> 53 ± 6%) and proteins (> 9 ± 2%), with all essential amino acids, being tryptophan the limiting amino acid in both fractions (3.7 ± 0.5 and 4.4 ± 0.6 mg.g−1 protein in ESF and EMF, respectively). Although the high insoluble fibre reduced solubility and density, it improved oil retention and swelling capacity. LC-MS/MS analysis revealed a diverse polyphenol profile, particularly in the epicarp-mesocarp fraction, with compounds of known antioxidant potential such as isochercitrin (61.1%) and narirutin (20.2%). Furthermore, cell viability > 70% in cytotoxicity assays confirmed the safety of these powders for food use. Overall, N. affinis pod powders offer a promising alternative to enrich the nutritional and functional quality of food products such as baked goods and pasta; contributing as well to the valorisation of underutilized native species of Latina America.