Lipid composition and antioxidant activities of some underused wild plants seeds from Burundi

Fatty acids, phytosterols, total phenolic content, and radical-scavenging activity were determined in seed oils of 12 wild plants from natural ecosystems in Burundi. Among the 13 fatty acids identified, palmitic, oleic, linoleic, and stearic acids were found predominant throughout all oils, except Parinari curatellifolia oil which showed a high amount of erucic acid (58.41% +/- 0.77). The most dominant sterol was found to be beta-sitosterol in all oils and was followed by stigmasterol in 8 kinds of oils and campesterol in 3 kinds of oils. The highest total phenolic contents were observed in P. curatellifolia, Tephrosia vogelii, and Uvaria angolensis oils, with, respectively, 2.16 +/- 0.26, 1.43 +/- 0.33, and 1.27 +/- 0.39 mg gallic acid equivalent/g oil. Some of these oils exhibited a higher ability to scavenge DPPH radicals. The antioxidant capacity of 8 species ranged from 1.18 to 18.08 mmol acid ascorbic equivalent/g oil. Based on these findings, such oils could be used in different domains such as food, cosmetic, pharmaceutical, and lipochemistry.

Automated summary

The study revealed that seed oils from 12 wild plants in Burundi contain abundant fatty acids, phytosterols, and total phenolic content, with good radical-scavenging activity. These oils could be used in various fields such as food, cosmetic, pharmaceutical, and lipochemistry.