CLASSICAL, GC-MS AND FT-IR CHARACTERIZATION OF AZANZA GARCKEANA SEED OIL

The pharmaceutical and wellness industries have recourse to nature for guidance, inspiration and as a source of novel compounds to produce new consumer products. Seed oils provide renewable sources of high-value fatty acids for these industries. This work was carried out to establish the oil content ofAzanza garckeana (A. garckeana) seeds (from Tula village, Kaltungo Local Government Area of Gombe State, Nigeria) and the composition of the oil. Soxhlet extraction of A. garckeana seed oil (AGSO) was carried out at 75 oC for 3 h using petroleum ether (60-80 oC) and 42.2 % oil yield was obtained. Thus, A. garckeana seed is a renewable source of seed oil comparable to palm kernel. The AGSO was analyzed for moisture/volatiles (4.0 %), specific gravity (0.926 at 25 oC), refractive index (1.4694 at 25 oC), saponification value (189.0 mg/g), iodine value (80.0 mg I2/g), peroxide value (5.6 meq/kg), acid value (0.56 mg/g) and free fatty acid (0.28 mg/g) using classical standard (AOCS) methods. GCMS analysis of theAGSO revealed its major fatty acids as: linoleic acid (30.0 %), palmitic acid (13.0 %), oleic acid (2.5 %), stearic acid (1.0 %), sterculic acid (0.25 %) and myristic acid (0.19 %). Other major components of the AGSO are n-hexane (43.6 %) and 5-bromo-2,4-bis(methylthio)-pyrimidine (7.8 %). By these results, AGSO is a nondrying oil with omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) dominating its fatty acid profile. This suggests that AGSO has the potential to lower risk of coronary heart disease (CHD), reduce total and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol as well as correct insulin sensitivity and blood pressure, if used as a dietary replacement for saturated fatty acids. AGSO also presents as a veritable renewable source for n-hexane and a potentially bioactive pyrimidine derivative. Thus, AGSO has the potential of a natural source for nutraceuticals and vital daily supplements or therapeutic remedy in nutrition and/or healthcare.