Is Your Açaí Really from Amazon? Using DNA Barcoding to Authenticate Commercial Products

Lugon, Magda Delorence; dos Santos, Pedro Henrique Dias; Oliveira, Pablo Viana; de Almeida, Francine Alves Nogueira; Luber, Jaquelini; Forzza, Rafaela Campostrini; Jardim, Mário Augusto Gonçalves; Paneto, Greiciane Gaburro

doi:10.1007/s12161-021-01998-2

Published: 11 March 2021

Is Your Açaí Really from Amazon? Using DNA Barcoding to Authenticate Commercial Products

Magda Delorence Lugon ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0001-8156-7903^1,2,
Pedro Henrique Dias dos Santos³,
Pablo Viana Oliveira¹,
Francine Alves Nogueira de Almeida¹,
Jaquelini Luber⁴,
Rafaela Campostrini Forzza⁵,
Mário Augusto Gonçalves Jardim⁶ &
Greiciane Gaburro Paneto^1,2

Food Analytical Methods volume 14, pages 1559–1566 (2021)Cite this article

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Abstract

Açaí is an Amazon superfruit with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties used in the preparation of energy drinks consumed mainly in Brazil and lately exported to the whole world. It is obtained from two palm species, Euterpe oleracea (mainly) and Euterpe precatoria (secondarily). However, it may be mistaken with the fruit of a non-Amazon sister species (Euterpe edulis), called juçara, due to its morphological similarities. As species identification is fundamental in the confirmation of commercial product authenticity, and most of the time the morphological identification is impossible, the molecular biology analysis represents a powerful method in food science. DNA barcoding, for example, represents an efficient method for detecting plant-based adulterants. In this study, we established a DNA barcoding method for discriminating the three Euterpe species, and it was successfully applied to authenticate açaí commercial products sold in the Brazilian market. After testing nine regions as DNA barcoding candidates in reference samples, psbK-I region was elected for the authentication method. As result, 88.6% of the samples were classified as authenticated and 11.4% were classified as adulterated products. Authenticated açaí products showed clustered with E. oleracea reference plants. Four adulterated açaí products showed clustered with E. edulis, a different species from the label. No products showed clustered with E. precatoria. These results bring us concern about the correct identification of species in food and about the occurrence of misleading advertising on labeled açaí products.

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Acknowledgements

The authors are thankful to Marcia Flores da Silva Ferreira, Adésio Ferreira, Aléxia Gonçalves Pereira, José Aires Ventura, Luciana Ozório Franco, and members of the Rio de Janeiro Botanical Garden for their contribution with reference samples and Viviane Tavares for commercial products photographs. The authors acknowledge the Federal University of Espirito Santo for English editing and Graduate Program in Biotechnology of the Federal University of Espirito Santo.

Funding

This work was supported by the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq) which provided research grants to RCF (grant number 303420/2016-2) and Rio de Janeiro Research Foundation (FAPERJ) (grant number E-26/202.778/2018). This study was financed in part by the Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education and Graduate Training (CAPES)-Finance Code 001. The CAPES is acknowledged for the scholarship granted to FAN Almeida, J Luber, PV Oliveira, and PHD Santos.

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Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biotecnologia, Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, Vitória, Espírito Santo, Brazil
Magda Delorence Lugon, Pablo Viana Oliveira, Francine Alves Nogueira de Almeida & Greiciane Gaburro Paneto
Centro de Ciências Exatas, Naturais e da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, Alegre, Espírito Santo, Brazil
Magda Delorence Lugon & Greiciane Gaburro Paneto
Centro de Ciências e Tecnologias Agropecuárias, Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense, Campos dos Goytacazes, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Pedro Henrique Dias dos Santos
Programa de Pós-Graduação em Botânica, Jardim Botânico do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Jaquelini Luber
Jardim Botânico do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Rafaela Campostrini Forzza
Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldi, Belém do Pará, Pará, Brazil
Mário Augusto Gonçalves Jardim

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Magda Delorence Lugon
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Pedro Henrique Dias dos Santos
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Pablo Viana Oliveira
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Francine Alves Nogueira de Almeida
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Jaquelini Luber
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Rafaela Campostrini Forzza
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Mário Augusto Gonçalves Jardim
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Greiciane Gaburro Paneto
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Correspondence to Magda Delorence Lugon.

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Magda Delorence Lugon declares that she has no conflict of interest. Pedro Henrique Dias dos Santos declares that he has no conflict of interest. Pablo Viana Oliveira declares that he has no conflict of interest. Francine Alves Nogueira de Almeida declares that she has no conflict of interest. Jaquelini Luber declares that she has no conflict of interest. Rafaela Campostrini Forzza declares that she has no conflict of interest. Mário Augusto Gonçalves Jardim declares that he has no conflict of interest. Greiciane Gaburro Paneto declares that she has no conflict of interest.

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Lugon, M.D., dos Santos, P.H.D., Oliveira, P.V. et al. Is Your Açaí Really from Amazon? Using DNA Barcoding to Authenticate Commercial Products. Food Anal. Methods 14, 1559–1566 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12161-021-01998-2

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Received: 21 September 2020
Accepted: 04 March 2021
Published: 11 March 2021
Issue Date: August 2021
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12161-021-01998-2

Keywords

Euterpe
Authentication
Brazilian market
Species identification
psbK-I