Fatty Acid Composition, Physico-Chemical and Antibacterial Activities of Oil Extracted from Bitter-Cola (Garcinia kola)

Abstract

Garcinia kola (Bitter cola) is a medicinal plant which is exclusively tropical in distribution. Traditionally, African medicine regards the plant in high esteem. Oil extract from Garcinia kola had a deep brown color percentage yield of 3.3522 ± 0.01, Specific gravity of 0.9158 ± 0.01, Refractive index of1.5400 ± 0.01 and Viscosity (30°C)(Pas/sec) of 74.4383 ± 0.02 as its physical parameters respectively. All the physical parameters observed were very high compared with normal convectional oil. The chemical parameters wereAcid value 17.3910 ± 0.20mg/g, Free fatty acid 1.2174 0.20mg/g, Iodine value 26.9028 0.10g/100g, Saponification value 33.6600 ± 0.2mmol/kg and Peroxide value 24.000 0.2mg/g respectively. The saponification value which is inversely proportional to the mean molecular weight of the glycerides in the oil was very low. The antibacterial activities were Klebsiellapneumonia 0.20 ± 0.01, Streptococcus cereus 0.60 0.01, Staphylococcus aureus0.50 ± 0.02 and Salmonella typhii 0.30 ± 0.01 respectively. The fatty acid composition of the oil were palmitic acid (C16:0) 22.3528 as the only highest saturated fatty acid, Oleic acid (C18:1) 26.2410 as the only highest monounsaturated fatty acid, Linoleic acid (C18; 2) 42.9273 and linolenic acid (C18: 3) as the only polyunsaturated fatty acids present.The oil extracted from this seed showed that the seed had a low yield and the oil is a non-drying oil and very viscous. It can be effectively used for variety of domestic and pharmaceutical applications for curative purpose and fatty acid composition of this oil, suggest some industrial potentials.