Fatty Acid Composition of Seed Oil from Pachira aquatica Grown in Nigeria
Afolayan S. Sunday *
Nigerian Stored Products Research Institute, Km 3, Asa Dam Road P.M.B. 1489, Ilorin Kwara State, Nigeria.
Igbum O. Gillian
Department of Chemistry, Benue State University, Makurdi, Nigeria.
Igoli O. John
Department of Chemistry, University of Agriculture, PMB 2373, Makurdi, Nigeria.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
The relative composition of the fatty acids in Pachira aquatica seed oil were determined using GC-MS and 1H NMR. The results obtained from GC-MS and 1H NMR show that the oil contained saturated fatty acids (>67%), oleic acid (>18%), linoleic (>3%) and linolenic acid (≤0.01%). 1H NMR gave more reliable and reproducible results.
Keywords: Pachira aquatic, seed oil, fatty acids, GC-MS, NMR, Nigeria.