Vitamin A activity of buriti (Mauritia vinifera Mart) and its effectiveness in the treatment and prevention of xerophthalmia.

The fruit of buriti, a palm tree that grows wild in some regions of Brazil, contains beta-carotene in its oily fraction in a concentration 10 times higher than that of red-palm oil. The effectiveness of buriti sweet in the treatment and prevention of xerophthalmia was tested in 44 children aged 43-144 mo through daily supplementation with an amount corresponding to 134 micrograms retinol equivalent over 20 d. The results demonstrated that this natural food source of vitamin A can reverse clinical xerophthalmia and restore liver reserves of the vitamin, suggesting its possible utilization in intervention programs to combat vitamin A deficiency in countries where the fruit is available or has the potential for cultivation.