Effect of Processing on Fatty Acid and Phospholipid Compositions of Harms (Brachystegia eurycoma) Seed Grown in Nigeria

Abstract

A comprehensive study on the effect of processing on fatty acid and phospholipid compositions of Brachystegia eurycoma seed flour was conducted. Processing methods (boiling, fermentation and roasting) were adopted using standard analytical techniques. The most concentrated fatty acids (%) were linoleic acid (47.95 – 50.91) > oleic acid (26.51 – 30.91) > palmitic acid (11.51 – 14.16) > stearic acid (3.06 – 5.54). Lenoceric, erucic, and arachidic acids were present with none of them recording up to 1% while caprylic, capric and margaric acids were not at the detection limit of GC. All the processing methods increased the contents of palmitic, palmitoleic, linoleic and linolenic acids. The oleic acid content was reduced in boiled, fermented and roasted samples by 60.93, 59.97 and 63.77%, respectively. The phospholipid analysis gave result (%) of phosphatidic > phosphatidylinositol > phospatidyserine > phosphatidyethanolamine concentrations. Generally, the processing methods showed deviations in fatty acid and phospholipid components from the raw seeds. There was a clear indication that the raw and processed samples of B. eurycoma seed oils contained a high level of polyunsaturated fatty acids, making them a healthy low fat food.

Keywords: Brachystegia eurycoma, processing, seed oils, fatty acids, phospholipids.