Fatty acids composition of Tambourissa comorensis fruits from the Comoros: Insights into nutritional and therapeutic potentials

Abstract

Tambourissa comorensis (TC) is a member of the Monimiaceae family endemic to the Comoros Islands where it is regarded as a medicinal plant. In this study, the fatty acids (FA) composition and profile of air-dried powdered fruits of TC were examined by GC-MS. Based on the results, four major common fatty acids were tentatively identified as well as five other minor fatty acids. The analysis revealed the presence of both saturated and unsaturated fatty acids. The dried fruits exhibited oleic acid (30.64%) and linoleic acid (29.13%) as the dominant fatty acids, while palmitic acid (17.95%) and stearic acid (4.25%) were the main saturated FA identified. These fatty acids were isolated as pure compounds, with the exception of stearic acid, which was obtained as a mixture from crude lipid n-hexane extract fractionation on a silica gel column chromatography and identified in their free form by 2D-1H-NMR (300 MHz), 13C-NMR (75 MHz) and infrared (IR) spectroscopies. The average oil content in dried powdered fruits of T. comorensis species was estimated to be approximately 8%, with saturated fatty acids, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated ones constituting about 22.67%, 32.07%, and 29.13%, respectively. T. comorensis fruits were found to be rich in health-promoting compounds, suggesting potential applications in the food, cosmetic, or pharmaceutical industries. This study is the first to profile the fatty acids in T. comorensis fruits, laying foundations for further exploration into their nutritional and therapeutic properties, as well as their potential roles in regional biodiversity and chemodiversity.

Keywords

• Comoros
• fatty acids
• GC-MS analysis
• NMR spectroscopy
• Tambourissa comorensis fruits