A study on the fatty acids and the unsaponifiable fraction of ampalaya (Momordica charantia L.) seed oil and preliminary evaluation of their cytotoxicity

Date

4-2003

Degree

Bachelor of Science in Chemistry

College

College of Arts and Sciences (CAS)

Adviser/Committee Chair

Hidelisa P. Hernandez

Abstract

Pham, Alessandra Julian, College of Arts and Sciences. University of the Philippines Los Banos. April, 2003. A STUDY ON THE FATTY ACIDS AND UNSAPONIFIABLE FRACTION OF AMPALAYA (Momordica charantia L.) SEED OIL AND PRELIMINARY EVALUATION OF THEIR CYTOTOXICITY.

Adviser. Hidelisa P. Hernandez, Ph.D.

Commercially available ampalaya seeds of the Sta. Isabelle variety were analyzed. Proximate composition of the ampalaya seed was determined as follows: moisture — 6.09%; crude protein — 24.46%; crude fat — 15.35%; crude fiber — 28.52% and ash content — 2.43%. The oil extracted using hexane at room temperature was greenish in color and constituted 15.00% of the entire seed. The seed oil was analyzed for its glyceride profile, fatty acid composition and unsaponifiable fraction composition. The fatty acids produced by enzymatic hydrolysis and the unsaponifiable fraction were evaluated for their cytotoxicity.

Fatty acid analysis of the ampalaya seed oil showed that it is an unsaturated oil of the oleic family with the unsaturated fraction comprising 78.22% of the total fatty acids. The fatty acids were predominantly elaidic (55.36%), linolelaidic (5.33%) and oleic (5.21%) acids. The presence of linolenic acid (0.3936%), a polyunsaturated fatty acid claimed to alleviate a variety of human diseases, shows this seed oil's potential for use in the nutraceutical industry.

Glyceride analysis showed that its major component is triglycerides (85.74%). A detailed analysis of its triglyceride fraction showed the triglyceride molecular species to consist of seven peaks based on partition number (PN) where PN 42 constitutes 76.92% of the total triglyceride molecular species.

The unsaponifiable fraction of the ampalaya seed oil was 0.4225% of the oil. The chemical profile of the unsaponifiable fraction was analyzed and compared with authentic standards using thin layer chromatography (TLC) and high performance liquid chromatography (1-IPLC). Four known tocopherols (a, (3, 7 and 0) with 13-tocopherol having the highest concentration were identified. The carotenoids present were identified as xanthophylls (lutein), lycopene, a- and 13-carotenes. Sterols (61.78%) were the major components of the unsaponifiable fraction with stigmasterol as the dominant sterol species.

A preliminary study on the cytotoxic activity of the unsaponifiable fraction and enzyme-hydrolyzed fatty acids of ampalaya seed oil was carried out using the MTT Assay protocol. These components were found to inhibit the growth of human breast cancer cells (MCF-7) and CHO-AA8 cells.

Language

English

Location

UPLB Main Library Special Collections Section (USCS)

Call Number

LG 993.5 2003 C4 P43

Document Type

Thesis

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