Nutritional evaluation and chemical characterization of seed lipids and pulp of malugai (Pometia pinnata) fruit

Date

4-2008

Degree

Bachelor of Science in Chemistry

College

College of Arts and Sciences (CAS)

Adviser/Committee Chair

Maxima E. Flavier

Co-adviser

Evelyn B. Rodriguez

Committee Member

Teofila A. Villar

Abstract

Malugai(Pometia pinnata) belongs to the Soapberry family, Sapindaceae, found naturally in the Asia-Pacific region. The fruit pulp is soil and sweet which is similar to lychee. longan and rambutan. In the Philippines, the fruit is not commercially found as yet in the market. Proximate and mineral analysis of the fruit seed and pulp were done to evaluate its nutrient composition. The seed contains 22.01% crude fat, 21.02% crude protein and 51.29% carbohydrates (MFB). The pulp has low crude fat (0.33%) and crude protein (11.71%) but higher carbohydrates (79.09%). The mineral composition of both seed and pulp were also determined by atomic absorption spectrophotometry for Na, K. and Ca while phosphorus was determined by phosphomolybdate method (AOAC, 2005). The total sugars and reducing sugars of the pulp were evaluated using the phenol-sulfuric acid method and DNS method by visible spectrophotometry, respectively. The pulp was successively extracted with water at 40°C and with dilute NaOH to get the water-soluble and alkali-soluble fractions which were hydrolyzed and derivatized as alditol acetates prior to gas chromatographic analysis. Four major monosaccharides identified were D-arabinose. D-fructose, D-mannose. and D-galactose. The seed lipids were extracted with petroleum ether using a Soxhlet apparatus. The extracted lipid is sweet smelling, yellowish in color, and solidifies at room temperature. It has an iodine number of 45.32 and a saponification number of 106 which can be compared with sweet almond oil. The fatty acid profile as methyl esters showed the presence of 3.87% palmitic acid (C16), 21.67% stearic acid (C18). 20.49% oleic acid (C18:1), 3.94% nonadccanoic acid (C19), 29.15% arachidic acid (C20) and 10.47% heneicosanoic acid (C21). This profile indicated the presence of both saturated and unsaturated fatty acids. This study showed some interesting nutritional components for both pulp and seed lipids. Further investigation is suggested to expound the health benefits of malugai fruit

Language

English

Location

UPLB Main Library Special Collections Section (USCS)

Call Number

LG 993.5 2008 C4 I43

Document Type

Thesis

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