Lipids and Fatty Acid Profiling of Major Indian Garcinia Fruit: A Comparative Study and its Nutritional Impact

Fatty Acid Profile, Tocopherol Content of Seed Oil, and Nutritional Analysis of Seed Cake of Wood Apple (Limonia acidissima L.), an Underutilized Fruit-Yielding Tree Species

The present study was aimed at analyzing the fatty acid composition, tocopherols, and physico-chemical characterization of wood apple (Limonia acidissima L.) seed oil and the nutritional profile of seed cake. The fatty acids in seed oil were analyzed by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS), and the total seed oil was 32.02 ± 0.08%, comprising oleic (21.56 ± 0.57%), alpha-linolenic (16.28 ± 0.29%), and linoleic acid (10.02 ± 0.43%), whereas saturated fatty acid content was 33.38 ± 0.60% including palmitic (17.68 ± 0.65%) and stearic acid (14.15 ± 0.27%). A greater amount of unsaturated fatty acids (52.37%) were noticed compared to saturated fatty acids (33.38%); hence the seed is highly suitable for nutritional and industrial applications. Gamma-tocopherol was present in a higher quantity (39.27 ± 0.07 mg/100 g) as compared to alpha (12.64 ± 0.01 mg/100 g) and delta (3.77 ± 0.00 mg/100 g) tocopherols, which are considered as natural antioxidants. The spectrophotometric technique was used for quantitative analysis of total phenolic content, and it revealed 135.42 ± 1.47 mg gallic acid equivalent /100 g DW in seed cake. All the results of the studied seed oil and cake showed a good source of natural functional ingredients for several health benefits.

Red Arils of Taxus baccata L.-A New Source of Valuable Fatty Acids and Nutrients

The aim of this study, focused on the nutritional value of wild berries, was to determine the contents of macronutrients, profiles of fatty (FAs) and amino acids (AAs), and the contents of selected elements in red arils (RA) of Taxus baccata L., grown in diverse locations in Poland. Protein (1.79–3.80 g/100 g) and carbohydrate (18.43–19.30 g/100 g) contents of RAs were higher than in many cultivated berries. RAs proved to be a source of lipids (1.39–3.55 g/100 g). Ten out of 18 AAs detected in RAs, mostly branched-chain AAs, were essential AAs (EAAs). The EAAs/total AAs ratio approximating were found in animal foods. Lipids of RA contained seven PUFAs, including those from n-3 family (19.20–28.20 g/100 g FA). Polymethylene-interrupted FAs (PMI-FAs), pinolenic 18:3Δ5,9,12; sciadonic 20:3Δ5,11,14, and juniperonic 20:4Δ5,11,14,17, known as unique for seeds of gymnosperms, were found in RAs. RAs may represent a novel dietary source of valuable n-3 PUFAs and the unique PMI-FAs. The established composition of RAs suggests it to become a new source of functional foods, dietary supplements, and valuable ingredients. Because of the tendency to accumulate toxic metals, RAs may be regarded as a valuable indicator of environmental contamination. Thus, the levels of toxic trace elements (Al, Ni, Cd) have to be determined before collecting fruits from natural habitats.