Fatty acid composition in Ocotea caudata (Nees) Mez (Lauraceae) fruits from Colombia

Abstract

The genus Ocotea of the Lauraceae family has species whose wood is employed in construction and for other purposes including as biofuel, for disinfection, cosmetics, and in the treatment of various diseases. Studies regarding Ocotea caudata’s phytochemical and pharmacognostic uses are scarce, thus, this work is the first to study its fruits. O. caudata (Nees) Mez fruits from Colombia were investigated for their oil content. Heptane extraction from O. caudata fruit oil yielded 54.9 % of total lipids, where the fatty acid composition was determined. The oil analysis by gas chromatography with flame ionization detection (GC-FID) demonstrated that lauric acid was the most abundant fatty acid (51.7 %, C12:0). In addition to lauric acid, oleic acid (23.6 %, C18:1) and palmitic acid (16.6 %, C16:0) were found. The fatty acid composition was confirmed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). O. caudata can be considered as a species that accumulates medium-chain saturated fatty acids (C12) and long-chain unsaturated fatty acids (C18). In conclusion, many of its health benefits may be due to its high content of lauric acid. Therefore, this oil is highly regarded for its nutritional and health properties.