<i>Ailanthus altissima</i> Seed Oil—A Valuable Source of Lipid-Soluble Components with DNA Protective and Antiproliferative Activities
Tsvetelina Andonova,
Zhana Petkova,
Olga Teneva,
Ginka Antova,
Elena Apostolova,
Samir Naimov,
Tsvetelina Mladenova,
Iliya Slavov,
Ivanka Dimitrova-Dyulgerova
Affiliations
Tsvetelina Andonova
Department of Botany and Biological Education, Faculty of Biology, University of Plovdiv “Paisii Hilendarski”, 24 Tzar Asen Street, 4000 Plovdiv, Bulgaria
Zhana Petkova
Department of Chemical Technology, University of Plovdiv “Paisii Hilendarski”, 24 Tzar Asen Street, 4000 Plovdiv, Bulgaria
Olga Teneva
Department of Chemical Technology, University of Plovdiv “Paisii Hilendarski”, 24 Tzar Asen Street, 4000 Plovdiv, Bulgaria
Ginka Antova
Department of Chemical Technology, University of Plovdiv “Paisii Hilendarski”, 24 Tzar Asen Street, 4000 Plovdiv, Bulgaria
Elena Apostolova
Department of Plant Physiology and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biology, University of Plovdiv “Paisii Hilendarski”, 24 Tzar Asen Street, 4000 Plovdiv, Bulgaria
Samir Naimov
Department of Plant Physiology and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biology, University of Plovdiv “Paisii Hilendarski”, 24 Tzar Asen Street, 4000 Plovdiv, Bulgaria
Tsvetelina Mladenova
Department of Botany and Biological Education, Faculty of Biology, University of Plovdiv “Paisii Hilendarski”, 24 Tzar Asen Street, 4000 Plovdiv, Bulgaria
Iliya Slavov
Department of Biology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical University of Varna, 9000 Varna, Bulgaria
Ivanka Dimitrova-Dyulgerova
Department of Botany and Biological Education, Faculty of Biology, University of Plovdiv “Paisii Hilendarski”, 24 Tzar Asen Street, 4000 Plovdiv, Bulgaria
The present study is focused on the chemical and lipid composition of seed oil of the European ornamental and invasive wood plant Ailanthus altissima (Simaroubaceae). Total lipids, proteins, carbohydrates, ash, and moisture in the seeds were determined. A high yield of glyceride oil (30.7%) was found, as well as a high content of fibers (29.6%) and proteins (18.7%). Physicochemical properties of the oil define it as semi-dry (129.4 g I2/100 g Iodine value) with oxidative stability, refractive index, saponification value, and relative density similar to widely used oils with nutritional value and health benefits. The composition of the seed oil was determined chromatographically. Unsaturated fatty acids (95.3%) predominated in the seed oil, of which linoleic acid (48.6%) and oleic acid (44.8%) were the major ones. The main lipid-soluble bioactive components were β-sitosterol (72.6%), γ-tocopherol (74.6%), phosphatidylinositol (29.5%), and phosphatidic acids (25.7%). The proven in vitro DNA-protective ability of seed oil is reported for the first time. The seed oil exhibited a weak antiproliferative effect on HT-29 and PC3 tumor cell lines and showed no cytotoxicity on the BALB/c 3T3 cell line. In brief, the present study reveals that A. altissima seed oil can be used as a healthy food.
