Tropical Journal of Pharmaceutical Research

Original Research Article | OPEN ACCESS

Fatty Acid Profile and Physicochemical Properties of Landolphia owariensis P. Beauv Stringy Seed Oil

Tochukwu JN Okonkwo¹ , Wilfred O Obonga², Chinedu JO Okonkwo³

¹Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry Department, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Port Harcourt, Port Harcourt; ²Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry Department, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Nigeria, Nsukka; ³Biochemistry Department, Faculty of Chemical Sciences, College of Science, University of Port Harcourt, Port Harcourt, Nigeria.

For correspondence:- Tochukwu Okonkwo Email: tjokonkwo@yahoo.com Tel:+2340806710164

Received: 20 February 2014 Accepted: 23 June 2014 Published: 18 August 2014

Citation: Okonkwo TJ, Obonga WO, Okonkwo CJ. Fatty Acid Profile and Physicochemical Properties of Landolphia owariensis P. Beauv Stringy Seed Oil. Trop J Pharm Res 2014; 13(8):1347-1352 doi: 10.4314/tjpr.v13i8.21

© 2014 The authors.
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Abstract

Purpose: To elucidate lipid profile of Landolphia owariensis P. Beauv stringy seed oil, the bulk physicochemical properties of its neutral lipid (NL), and also to ascertain its nutritional properties, safety and industrial applications.

Methods: The neutral lipid was recovered by macerating 500 g of L. owariensis stringy seed pulp in 1 L of petroleum ether (40 – 60 ºC boiling range) for 48 h. Methyl esters of the inherent fatty acids were generated by transmethylation while the physicochemical properties of the NL was determined by official methods of the Association of Official Analytical Chemists (AOAC).

Results: The acid, iodine, saponification and peroxide values were 2.81 ± 0.01 mg KOH/g, 67.26 ± 1.05 mg I/100 g, 219.38 ± 2.69 mg KOH/g and 6.00 ± 0.28 mEq/kg, respectively. Thiobarbituric acid reactive substance (TBARS) value (6.10 ± 0.24 mg MDA/kg) of the NL further confirmed the stability of NL (neutral lipid) against oxidative rancidity. Gas chromatographic analysis of the methyl ester mix of L. owariensis stringy seed pulp NL indicate hexadecanoic acid (palmitic acid) as the principal fatty acid with an absolute proportion of 54.38 %. Palmitoleic acid (18.54 %) and linoleic acid (9.56 %) ranked second and third, respectively, while the saturated/unsaturated fatty acid ratio was 2.53.

Conclusion: The neutral lipid of seed oil exhibited strong stability to ketonic and oxidative rancidity, and is safe for edible purposes. Its relatively high unsaturated fatty acid proportion (28.29 %) indicates that L. owariensis stringy seed pulp fixed oil possesses good nutritional qualities.

Keywords: Landolphia owariensis, Stringy seed pulp, Lipid profile, Fatty acids, Palmitic acid, Palmitoleic acid, Linoleic acid