CHEMICAL CHARACTERIZATION OF OPUNTIA FICUS-INDICA SEED OIL

Some quality parameters were evaluated in Opuntia ficus-indica seed oil samples obtained from fruit wastes harvested in S.Cono (Catania- Italy). The seeds (12-16% of the fruit peel) were submitted to hexane extraction, obtaining 8-9% oil, on seed dry weight.
The tests carried out on this oil gave the following results: fatty acids content (as oleic acid): 2.5%, iodine number: Wijs (105.5), peroxide number (10meq O₂/Kg), UV absorption: K₂₃₂ = 3.15; K₂₆₈ = 0.22; ΔK= + 0.01, all in agreement with the characteristics of other common vegetable oils.
The acidic fraction revealed an high degree of unsaturation (82.3 %) with monounsatured and polyunsatured contents of 21.0 % and 61.3 %, respectively.
The sterolic fraction was composed mainly of -sitosterol (61.4%), campesterol (16.5 %), stigmasterol (4.2 %) and other more unsatured sterols (6.2 %). Alcanolic fraction contained mainly hexacosanol (73.7%), along with low quantities of docosanol (10.7%) and octacosanol (8.1%) and smaller amounts of other components.
Among triterpenic alcohols, the most abundant component was found to be 24-methylcycloarthenol (34.2%), followed by cycloarthenol (29.3%), and -amyrin (2.2%). Based on these results, Opuntia ficus-indica seed oil appears to be a good potential source of alimentary oil.

IV International Congress on Cactus Pear and Cochineal

F. Salvo, E.M. Galati, S. Lo Curto, M.M. Tripodo

Opuntia ficus-indica seed oil, fatty acids, sterols, aliphatic alcohols, triterpenic alcohols

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2002.581.33