# Triacylglycerol Composition of Seed Oil from Corema album Berries

## TL;DR

This study analyzes the oil from Corema album seeds, finding it rich in beneficial unsaturated fatty acids and with low risk for cardiovascular issues.

## Contribution

The study provides a detailed characterization of Corema album seed oil's triacylglycerol composition and health-related properties using multiple extraction methods.

## Key findings

- Corema album seed oil is rich in α-linolenic acid (45.8%) with a low n-6/n-3 ratio (0.75).
- γ-tocotrienol is the most abundant tocochromanol in the oil.
- The oil has low atherogenicity (IA=0.05) and thrombogenicity (IT=0.04) indices.

## Abstract

The seeds of Corema album are considered a by-product in fruit processing. This study aimed to determine the oil contents in seeds and characterize their triacylglycerol contents through a comparative analysis using three extraction solvent systems: hexane (Soxhlet method), hexane–isopropanol (Hara–Radin method), and methanol–chloroform–water (Bligh–Dyer method). The extracts were analyzed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry and HPLC. The composition of fatty acids and triacylglycerols was determined, as were the allocation of fatty acids across the sn-2 and sn-1,3 positions, tocopherol and tocotrienol profile, and melting behavior through differential scanning calorimetry. Furthermore, the atherogenicity (IA) and thrombogenicity (IT) cardiovascular health indices were also calculated. The oil predominantly contained unsaturated fatty acids, and α-linolenic acid made up 45.8% of the total, along with a reduced n-6/n-3 fatty acid ratio (0.75). The α-linolenoyl chain primarily occupied the sn-1,3 (45.9%) and sn-2 (39.1%) positions. γ-tocotrienol was the most abundant tocochromanol. The melting curve of oil suggests the presence of fractions with a low melting point, composed of triacylglycerols containing polyunsaturated fatty acids. The oil exhibits low values for IA and IT of 0.05 and 0.04, respectively. Corema seed oil has potential health benefits thanks to its rich composition in the essential fatty acid, α-linolenic acid, the low proportion of n-6/n-3 fatty acids, and the low values of IA and IT.