Essential Oils and Fatty Acids Composition of Dry Fruits of Tetrapleura tetraptera

Abstract

The composition of essential oil and fatty acids of dry fruits of Tetrapleura tetraptera were analyzed by GC/MS. Forty-four compounds representing 98.5% of the essential oil were characterized. The essential oil was dominated by acetic acid (34.59%), 2-hydroxy-3-butanone (18.25%), butanoic acid (8.35%), 2-methyl butanoic acid (7.58%), 2-methyl butanol (7.45%), butanol (4.30%), 2-methyl butenoic acid (3.65%) and Nerol (3.25%). The fatty acid was dominated by palmitic acid (49.44%), linoleic acid (26.81%), oleic acid (19.72%) and stearic acid (3.20%). The fatty acid was about 54% saturated and 46% unsaturated with omega-6 and omega-3 constituting 27% and omega-9 (20%). The effectiveness of T.tetraptera to the treatment of variety of ailments does not depend largely on the essential oils composition of the plant since the oil is dominated by acetic acid. Any essential oil that is dominated by acid is not a true essential oil. © JASEM