Natural wax constituents of a supercritical fluid CO2 extract from quince (Cydonia oblonga Mill.) pomace

Abstract

The chemical constituents of a lipophilic extract from quince (Cydonia oblonga Mill.), obtained by supercritical fluid CO(2) extraction of the dried fruit pomace were investigated. Solvent partition of quince wax with n-hexane or acetone yielded an insoluble (crystalline) and a soluble (oily) fraction. Both fractions were analyzed separately using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). The insoluble fraction consisted of saturated n-aldehydes, n-alcohols and free n-alkanoic acids of carbon chain lengths between 22 and 32, with carbon chain lengths of 26 and 28 dominating. Also odd-numbered unbranched hydrocarbons, mainly C27, C29 and C31, were detected particularly in the acetone-insoluble fraction (total, 15.8%). By means of vacuum liquid chromatography, triterpenoic acids were separated from the hexane-insoluble matter and identified as a mixture of ursolic, oleanolic and betulinic acids. The major constituents of the hexane-soluble fraction were glycerides of linoleic [Δ(9,12), 18:2] and oleic [Δ(9), 18:1] acids, accompanied by free linoleic, oleic and palmitic acids (C16). Moreover β-sitosterol, Δ(5)-avenasterol as well as trace amounts of other sterols were assigned. Finally the carotenoids phytoene and phytofluene were identified and quantified by UV/vis and high-performance liquid chromatography/MS techniques, yielding 1.0 and 0.3% of the quince wax, respectively. It is anticipated that the complex of lipid constituents from quince wax may exert interesting biological activities, the elucidation of which awaits further studies.