Fatty Acid Profiles and Antimicrobial Activity from Tropical Fruit Seeds

Abstract

Fatty acid profiles and antimicrobial activity of ten oils from tropical fruit seeds were determined. The fatty acid composition of the oils was determined by GC-MS analysis that allowed identification of oleic, linoleic, palmitic, and stearic acids as major constituents. Oil samples exhibited antimicrobial activity against fungus, yeast, Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. Eugenia uniflora seed oil was the most active for bacteria with Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) values from 39.0 to 1250 μg mL-1. E. uniflora oil showed strong activity against bacteria Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus faecalis and Klebsiella pneumoniae as wells as for yeast Candida utilis with MIC of 312.5 μg mL-1. The carboxylic group of acids identified was associated with the antimicrobial activity considering that the esterified oils showed MIC greater than 2000 μg mL-1. Our study showed that the tropical fruit seeds have antimicrobial potential and their residues from the fruit juice industry can be used as a source of bioactive products.