Spectroscopic Evaluation of Unsaturation in Some Medicinal Plant Seed Oils doi.org/10.26538/tjnpr/v6i8.11

Abstract

Plant oils form a major component of our nutrition and also have various applications in medicine and industry. In Benue state, many plant seed oils are used for food and as components of traditional medicine. However, the levels of unsaturation of many of these oils has not been determined. A study of twenty (20) medicinal plants (Abrus precatorius, Albizia lebbeck, Anacardium occidentale, Annona muricata, Canarium schweinfurthii, Chrysophylium albidum, Citrullus lanatus, Citrullus colocynthis, Citrus senensis, Cucumeropsis mannii, Cyperus esculentus, Dacryodes edulis, Delonia regia, Elaeis guineensis, Irvingia gabonensis, Moringa oleifera, Parkia biglobosa, Phoenix dectylifera, Sphenostylis stenocarpa and Terminalia catappa.) seed oils was conducted to determine the levels of unsaturation and percentage composition of saturated fatty acids, mono unsaturated fatty acids and poly unsaturated fatty acids in the oils. The medicinal plant seeds were extracted in organic solvent (hexane) at room temperature by maceration. 1D and 2D Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy was conducted on the extracted oils. The NMR spectra obtained were processed and interpreted. The results were used to classify the oils based on their saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids content. Most of the oils were unsaturated and triglycerides while oils from Irvingia gabonensis, Phoenix dactylifera and Elaeis guineensis contained mainly saturated fatty acids.