Characterization and Antioxidant Activity of Myrianthus arboreus Seed Oil Harvested from Cote d’Ivoire

Aims: The rich and diversified Ivorian flora abounds in countless oilseed plants that certain rural populations use for the preparation of dishes. Thus, certain physical and chemical parameters and the fatty acid composition of the fat extracted from the seeds of Myrianthus arboreus from four towns in Côte d'Ivoire (Agboville; Bouaflé; Daloa and Man), were determined, in order to contribute to the development of this wild plant. Methodology and Results: Physical and chemical parameters determined by dosage comply with Codex Alimentarius standards. These parameters vary according to the harvest area and they show that the oil of Myrianthus arboreus is rich in unsaturated compounds (Iv ˃ 90; Ri = 1.472 ± 0.001) The evaluation of the antioxidant activity, carried out by spectrophotometry by trapping the radical stable DPPH, showed a weak reduction of the stable radical DPPH by the oil of Myrianthus arboreus compared to vitamin C. This investigation also made it possible to determine for the first time the fatty acid composition of the oil of Myrianthus arboreus by GC / MS; more than 90% linoleic acid is the major acid. Conclusion and Application: The oils analyzed showed very good contents of determined elements. Thus, the oil of Myrianthus arboreus could be used as well in human nutrition as in therapy. Thus, by its intrinsic characteristics, the oil from the seeds of Myrianthus arboreus is comparable to a conventional vegetable oil.