Fatty acid content in the lipid fraction of fruits of three Arecaceae grown in Cuba

Abstract

Palms (Arecaceae family), broadly spread in tropical and subtropical regions, have different uses. Although native or cultivated Arecaceae that grow in Cuba have been widely used as ornamental plants, they have been relatively poor studied. In light of these facts, the authors studied extraction yield, organoleptic characteristics and fatty acid composition of lipid fractions, extracted with hexane from dried and milled ripe fruits of three Arecaceae species cultivated in Cuba: Veitchia merrillii, Caryota urens and Wodyetia bifurcata. The three fractions were brown greenish (V. merrillii), brown reddish (C. urens) and yellow orange (W. bifurcata) semisolids with characteristic odor. Extraction yields of 3,8; 1,0 and 0,6 %; total fatty acids contents of 68,2; 58,4 and 59,1 %; and free fatty acids contents of 25,6; 5,5 and 11,3 % were found for V. merrillii, C. urens and W. bifurcata, respectively. The fatty acid composition, determined by gas chromatography, rendered that palmitic, oleic and linoleic acids were the major compounds in extracts from the three species; while lauric and myristic acids were also major components in the fraction extracted from C. Urens. This study shows, for the first time, the extraction yield, organoleptic characteristics and fatty acid composition of lipid fractions, extracted from whole fruits of Veitchia merrillii, Caryota urens and Wodyetia bifurcate, harvested in Cuba.