Abstract
Background:Exploring under–utilized plant fruits could be of high significance for food security and nutritional requirements, therefore, it can effectively add to the overall improvement of a nation’s economy. Blood plum (Haematostaphis barteri) is a wild edible vegetable and its fruit contains pulp and oily seed which are edible.Methods:A study was carried out to determine fatty acid profile, phospholipid and phytosterol contents as well as some physicochemical parameters of pulp and seed oils of Haematostaphis barteri (popularly known as blood plum) using standard analytical techniques.Results:The most concentrated fatty acids were palmitic acid (15.34%) < oleic acid (22.31%) < linoleic acid (50.56%) for the pulp oil while that of seed oil were oleic acid (12.34%) < palmitic acid (25.37%) < linoleic acid (38.87%). Arachidic, behenic, lignoceric and palmitoleic acids were all present in small quantities with none of them recording up to 1.0% in either of the samples. Lauric was determined but not detected in the pulp oil. The fatty acid composition of pulp and seed oils contained a healthy mixture of all the types of saturated and unsaturated fatty acids. The value of polyunsaturated/saturated index (P/S) which is associated to the impact on human health was higher in the pulp oil (2.47). Phospatidylinositol had the highest content (17.69 mg/100g) in the pulp oil while the highest content in seed oil was phosphatidylcholine (351.82 mg/100g). The total phytosterols for pulp and seed oils were 17.09 and 436.37 mg/100g, respectively. The results of some physicochemical parameters of pulp and seed oils were colour (light amber yellow and pale yellow), kinematic viscosity (9.15 and 10.62 mm2/s), specific gravity (0.92 and 0.92), unsaponifiable matter (1.63 and 2.54%), flash point 29.00 and 295.00oC), saponification value (189.40 and 190.22 mg KOH/g), peroxide value (8.15 and 9.20 meq O2/kg), iodine value (94.24 and 122.42 mg of I/100 g) and acid value (16.50 and 24.00 mg KOH/g), respectively.Conclusion:Generally, high percentage PUFA and low value of cholesterol may make either of the sample oils, a good food source on health wise basis. It was also revealed that both sample oils may be developed into a commercial product for use in food products.
Highlights
It is a well known fact that nutrition is an issue of both quantity and quality of food that contains essential nutrients1874-091X/17 2017 Bentham OpenComparative Studies on the Lipid CompositionThe Open Biochemistry Journal, 2017, Volume 11 95 for normal body functions
The fatty acid composition of pulp and seed oils contained a healthy mixture of all the types of saturated and unsaturated fatty acids
The results of fatty acid composition of H. barteri indicate that both the pulp and seed oils have a high content of linoleic acid (C18:2) of 50.56% and 38.87%, respectively (Table 1)
Summary
It is a well known fact that nutrition is an issue of both quantity and quality of food that contains essential nutrients1874-091X/17 2017 Bentham OpenComparative Studies on the Lipid CompositionThe Open Biochemistry Journal, 2017, Volume 11 95 for normal body functions. Vegetables and fruits in all their forms ensure an adequate intake of most essential nutrients and vitamins, dietary fibers, and phytochemicals which can supply the much-needed measure of balance diets thereby contributing to solve many of the nutritional problems. They play an important role in human nutrition and health as sources of vitamin C, niacin, pyridoxine, folic acid, thiamine, minerals and dietary fibre [1]. Studies on wild edible fruits and vegetables indicate that they are good sources of human nutrition, since they contain the essential minerals and vitamins in addition to proteins, fibres, fats and carbohydrate which are very significant for healthy growth and development of human body. Blood plum (Haematostaphis barteri) is a wild edible vegetable and its fruit contains pulp and oily seed which are edible
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