Determination of the antioxidant and antimicrobial activity of Brazil nuts (Bertholletia excelsa).

The Brazil nut is a nut grown in the Amazon region, with high caloric and proteic content. This nut contains selenium and phenolic compounds with antioxidant properties, which are widely used to combat the free radicals responsible for premature aging and degenerative diseases. The objective of this work was to evaluate the antioxidant activity and antimicrobial potential of Bertholletia excelsa nuts. To determine the antioxidant activity was employed the method of DPPH free radical sequestration. The antimicrobial activity was determined by the agar diffusion method with Gram-positive bacteria Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus mutans. The antioxidant activity evaluation showed the percentage of 71.86 ± 1.56% AA. The antimicrobial activity assays showed that the ethanolic extract of Brazil nut was not able to inhibit the growth of bacterial strains, both Gram - positive.