Free Radical Scavenging Capacity, Carotenoid Content, and NMR Characterization of Blighia sapida Aril Oil

Abstract

Blighia sapida aril oil is rich in monounsaturated fatty acids but is however currently not utilized industrially. The oil was characterized utilizing nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR). A spectrophotometric assay was conducted to determine the free radical scavenging properties and carotenoid content of the oil. Chemical shifts resonating between δ 5.30 and 5.32 in the 1 H NMR are indicative of olefinic protons present in ackee aril oil which are due to the presence of oleic acid. A peak at 3006 cm −1 in the FTIR spectra confirms the high levels of monounsaturation. The oil has a free radical scavenging activity of 48% ± 2.8% and carotenoid content of 21 ± 0.2 ppm.