Profiling and comparison of fatty acids in the oils from the fruits of Dacryodes edulis and Canarium schweinfurthii

Abstract

The fatty acids and fatty acid methyl esters from the oil extracts of Dacryodes edulis (DEO) and Canarium schweinfurthii (CSO) were identified and compared. The oil extracts were analyzed using a gas chromatography-mass spectrometer. DEO contained three (3) fatty acids and four (4) fatty acid methyl esters, while CSO contained two (2) fatty acids and four (4) fatty acid methyl esters. Six (6) similar compounds which include pentadecanoic acid (4.55%, 5.21%), 11-octadecenoic acid methyl ester (DEO: 40.47%, CSO: 45.23%), heptacosanoic acid (DEO: 37.81%, CSO: 38.48%), oleic acid (DEO: 7.43%, CSO: 4.36%), eicosanoic acid methyl ester (DEO: 6.65%, CSO: 4.84%) and octadecanoic acid (DEO: 1.90%, CSO: 1.89%) were identified from both fruits. n-hexadecanoic acid (DEO: 1.20%) was the only fatty acid compound detected in DEO that was not found in CSO. This study has revealed the contiguity in the chemical properties of both seed oils.