Utilização de frutos de cactáceas como uma alternativa para a população do semiárido brasileiro.

Abstract

Amidst the drought that part of the population of the Brazilian semiarid has faced in recent years, in addition to the naturally complex environment for planting inputs that need more water capacity, it is important that the population of this and other dry regions seek alternatives for food as agricultural inputs that adapt to your climate and soil of these places. Based on that reflection. a bibliographical survey was carried out on the use of cactus fruits in human food. seeking to identify knowledge scientific research on its main physicochemical and nutritional characteristics, as well as the technological and marketing advances for these fruits, allowing for greater consideration of food possibilities for populations at nutritional risk in drought-endemic areas. The studies were chosen through a protocol of research whose purpose was to obtain documents with greater technical-scientific support, in the areas of agricultural and food sciences. In the presentation of the results, part of the data was stored in a systematized table. containing the name of the cactus and its fruit. number of articles and documents found, authors and year of publication, databases research and the location where the studies were carried out. After analyzing these data, the materials raised were harvested with fruits and these discussed individually. considering your characteristics and technological advances and knowledge about each. In the end they were counted 25 articles and found 19 species of fruits in the literature. Someway Overall, studies have shown that knowledge about the fruits of cacti is still find in a very preliminary way, but that they emerge as agents promising, not only in terms of macro and micronutrient sources, but also as therapeutic possibilities for various pathophysiological disorders, due to the presence in their composition of important chemical and functional agents. While technological advances are still scarce, are likely to be used and the fruits used under the most different forms of presentation, thus being able to have its consumption expanded to areas far, acting in this way as a promising tool, not just in terms of reduction of nutritional risks for populations in dry areas. but also as agents of social recovery and economic development. Still allowing the maintenance of species in a clear process of extinction due to increasing desertification.