Abstract

ZAPATA LUJAN, Alejandra; COGOLLO PACHECO, Álvaro  and  ALBERTO ROJANO, Benjamín. Nutraceutical potential of Choibá almond oil or mountain almond (Dipteryx oleifera Benth.). Rev Cubana Plant Med [online]. 2013, vol.18, n.3, pp.368-380. ISSN 1028-4796.

Introduction: choibá fruit (Dipteryx oleifera Benth.) has been used in the diet of indigenous communities and peasants in Central and South America to prepare sweets and drinks. However, their lipid properties such as fatty acid composition, quality index, oxidative stability and antioxidant activity are not known. Objective: to determine the fatty acid content, quality index, oxidative stability at 50 °C and the antioxidant capacity of the oil in Choibá seeds. Methods: fatty acids were determined by gas chromatography of the mass. The quality indices were also determined by AOAC standards (Association of Official Analytical Chemists); oxidative stability by evaluating spectrophotometrically conjugated dienes; and tiobarbituric acid reactive species (TBARs) by fluorimetry. The antioxidant capacities of lipids were analyzed with techniques ABTS 2,29-azinobis-(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid)-6-sulfonic, DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) and ORAC (oxygen radical absorbance capacity) lipophilic. Results: oleic acid contributed to the 52.4 % of the total lipids. The quality indexes were: acidity (0.4 mg KOH/g oil), saponification (182 mg KOH/g oil), peroxide (12.5 mEq O₂/g) and iodine (85 mg I₂/g oil) and the antioxidant activity reported a value of Tx 808.9 µmol/g oil. Conclusions: lipids have physicochemical characteristics and oleic acid content similar to rapeseed oil (56-58 %). The oil quality indexes are in the range allowed by the AOAC for dietary oils. The oxygen radical absorbance capacity value found is similar to those reported for walnuts and almonds.

Keywords : choiba; fatty acids; lipid peroxidation; antioxidants; Dipteryx oleifera.

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