Chemical composition of Sacha Inchi (Plukenetia volubilis L.) seeds and characteristics of their lipid fraction

The seeds of Sacha inchi (Plukenetia volubilis L.) from Colombia were analyzed for their main chemical composition. Sacha inchi seeds (SIS) were rich in oil (41.4%) and protein (24.7%). The main minerals present in SIS were potassium (5563.5 ppm), magnesium (3210 ppm) and calcium (2406 ppm). A fatty acid analysis revealed that a-linolenic (50.8%) and linoleic (33.4%) acids were the main fatty acids in Sacha inchi oil (SIO). The lipid fractionation of SIO, obtained by solid phase extraction, yielded mainly neutral lipids (97.2%), and lower amounts of free fatty acids (1.2%) and phospholipids (0.8%). The physicochemical properties of the oil include: saponification number 185.2; iodine value 193.1; density 0.9187 g/cm3, refractive index 1.4791 and viscosity of 35.4 mPa.s. The melting profiles of SIO were characterized by the presence of one wide endothermic peak with a melting enthalpy of 23.2 J/g. Our results indicate that Sacha inchi is an important new crop with applications in the food and pharmaceutical industries.

Abstract licence: CC BY

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