Fatty acids composition and Therapeutic potential of three plant species of Tiliaceae family

Abstract

Tiliaceae is a family of trees, shrubs and rarely herbs having about 50 genera and 450 species. The seed oils of different species of this family are well known for their pharmaceutical applications. The aim of our research work was to investigate the fatty acids composition and medicinal potential of the species from Tiliaceae family which so far have been unexplored. The seed oils of Corchorus tridens, Grewia tenax and Grewia villosa were extracted by soxhlet extraction technique. The crude oils comprising fatty acid were converted into methyl esters and their fatty acid profiles were studied by GC-MS. The current study revealed the presence of three unsaturated fatty acids, viz. oleic acid (9.67-30.00%), linoleic acid (37.40- 47.41%) and linolenic acid (3.25-5.46%) in all the three species. The gamma-linolenic acid (GLA-1.14%) was reported only in Grewia tenax. The presence of higher amount of unsaturated fatty acids and GLA made these seed oils a powerful tool of medicinal significance.