Fatty Acid Composition of Dried Fruits of Sclerocarya birrea, Diospyros blancoi and Landolphia kirkii

Chemical Profile and Potential Applications of Sclerocarya birrea (A.Rich.) Hochst. subsp. caffra (Sond.) Kokwaro Kernel Oils: Analysis of Volatile Compounds and Fatty Acids

Sclerocarya birrea kernel volatile compounds and fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs) from the Bubi district in Matabeleland North province of Zimbabwe were characterised by GC-MS. The volatile compounds of the oil include 65 different compounds from 24 distinct classes, dominated by 13 alcohols and 14 aldehydes (42%). Other classes include carboxylic acids, phenols, sesquiterpenes, lactones, pyridines, saturated fatty acids, ketones, and various hydrocarbons. The kernel oils revealed essential fatty acids such as polyunsaturated (α-linolenic and linoleic acids) and monounsaturated fatty acids (palmitic, palmitoleic, and oleic acids). Notably, oleic acid is the predominant fatty acid at 521.61 mg/g, constituting approximately 73% of the total fatty acids. Linoleic acid makes up 8%, and saturated fatty acids make up about 7%, including significant amounts of stearic (42.45 mg/g) and arachidic (3.46 mg/g) acids. These results validate the use of marula oils in food, pharmaceutical, and health industries, as well as in the multibillion USD cosmetics industry. Therefore, the potential applications of S. berria kernel oils are extensive, necessitating further research and exploration to fully unlock their capabilities.

Biovalorization of Fruit Wastes for Development of Biodegradable Antimicrobial Chitosan-Based Coatings for Fruits (Tomatoes and Grapes)

Organic wastes are generated from high consumption of fruits. In this paper, fruit residual wastes collected from fruit-juice centres were transformed into fine powder, and thereafter, proximate analysis along with SEM, EDX and XRD was done to get into the surface morphology, minerals and ash content of fine powder. Aqueous extract (AE) prepared from this powder was studied using gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy (GC-MS). The phytochemicals identified are N-hexadecanoic acid; 1,3-dioxane,2,4-dimethyl-, diglycerol, 4-ethyl-2-hydroxycyclopent-2-en-1-one, eicosanoic acid, etc. AE showed high antioxidant and a low MIC value (2 mg/ml) against Pseudomonas aeruginosa MZ269380. AE having acceptance as nontoxic to biological system, formulation of chitosan (2%)-based coating was done with 1% AQ. Surface coatings of tomatoes and grapes showed significant inhibition of microbial growth even after 10 days of storage at ambient temperature (25 ± 2 °C). Colour, texture, firmness and aceptability of coated fruits showed no degradation compared to negative control. Additionally, the extracts showed insignificance haemolysis of goat RBC and damage of Calf Thymus DNA which exhibited its biocompatible nature. Biovalorization of fruit wastes yields useful phytochemicals and can be utilized in various sectors thereby finding a sustainable solution for disposal of fruit wastes.

The genus Landolphia P.Beauv. (Apocynaceae): A comprehensive review on its ethnobotanical utilizations, pharmacology and nutritional potential

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

The genus Landolphia is an important resource for African traditional medicine. Among the 60 different accepted species, nearly every plant part of the genus (bark, fruit, latex, leaf, leaf sap, root, rootbark, twig) from 13 species is utilized by traditional healers around Africa. Accordingly, many pharmacological studies (42) were performed on the most common species (11).

AIM OF THE STUDY

This comprehensive literature review summarizes all publications dealing on one of the 60 plant species from the genus Landolphia. An overview about already performed analysis is given and important aspects and knowledge gaps are highlighted for the direction of future research activities.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A systematic web search taking into account the major platforms Web of Science, Scopus, PubMed, SciFinder and Google Scholar was performed for the term Landolphia. All relevant datasets, published between 1804 and 2022, were ordered according to their topics in different sections and compared to each other. A network visualization of the keywords via VOS Viewer was additionally performed.

RESULTS

In total, 209 publications were retrieved from the search engines, mainly written in English. Predominant are ethnopharmacological studies, which identified 292 phytochemicals in plant parts of the whole genus. Diverse biological activities were detected in different plant extracts, and five species were determined as of special interest for the treatment of malaria. Further research topics identified are botanical aspects, ethnobotanical utilizations, ecological aspects, the potential as source for human and animal nutrition, the manufacturing of rubber, economic aspects, biomechanical studies and others. L. owariensis is the most studied plant as it is abundant in continental Africa.

CONCLUSIONS

This review serves as a database for upcoming research on the genus Landolphia and directs existing knowledge gaps. A wide range of chemical components are already identified, but their exact content in the respective plant parts and their biological activity remains mainly unknown. Utilization patterns from traditional medicine are only partially analyzed as demonstrated for the applications as aphrodisiac, to treat skin diseases or as antidiabetic. Nutritional analyses likewise focus on several species of Landolphia and lack for the wide range of known edible fruits. The demand for new natural products in terms of medicine, rubber and nutrition is still high and the genus Landolphia seems to be a promising resource covering many aspects at once.

Studies on the chemical composition of fruits and seeds of Pseudocydonia sinensis (Thouin) C.K. Schneid

Pseudocydonia sinensis (Thouin) C. K. Schneid. less known plant species in the Ukraine conditions, but the fruits were widely used in traditional Chinese medicine for the treatment of asthma, colds, sore throat, mastitis, rheumatoid arthritis, and tuberculosis. The content of protein, ash, and lipids in the seeds was found to be greater than in the pulp and peel. Monosaccharide analysis of neutral carbohydrate part showed the presence of two main sugars fructose and sucrose in the seeds, pulp, and peel. There is a higher beta-carotene content in the rind of the fruit than in the seeds and pulp. The total amount of fatty acids varied from sample to sample and contained mainly oleic acid, palmitic acid, linolenic acid, and linoleic acid. Linoleic acid in the seeds was 48.02% of total fatty acids, slightly less in the rind 42.70%. Palmitic acid, oleic acid, and linoleic acid in the pulp samples were 45.38, 21.32, and 14.93%, respectively. The total amount of amino acids found in the seeds was 105.0 g.kg-1 DM, including total essential amino acids (32.70 g.kg-1 DM). Glutamic acid was found in seeds to be the dominant free amino acid followed by aspartic acid and arginine in the seed. In our study, the antioxidant activity carried out by the DPPH method and measured by molybdenum reducing antioxidant power of peel, pulp and seeds were 9.41, 7.08, 6.21, and 158.81, 92.83, 78.58 mg TEAC.g-1 DM, respectively. Micro and macronutrients and amino acids predominated in the seeds, total fatty acids predominated in the pulp. The highest content of bioactive compounds (total polyphenols, flavonoid, and phenolic acid) and antioxidant activity was found in the peel. P. sinensis can be considered as a nourishing fruit with a copious potential with health-promoting roles and medicinal properties.