Exploring fruit lipid diversity in a neglected group of tropical palms: The tribe Phytelepheae

Background: The palm tribe Phytelepheae (vegetable ivory palms) produces oleaginous fruits traditionally consumed by indigenous and local communities. We therefore analyzed the oil content as well as fatty acid (FA), carotenoid, and tocochromanol composition of fruits collected from 35 palm trees in their natural habitats, namely Phytelephas aequatorialis (Pa, n = 28), Aphandra natalia (An, n = 5), and Ammandra decasperma (Ad, n = 2).
Results: Average mesocarp oil content was high in Pa and An (ca. 30% dry mass [DM]) but not in Ad (10% DM). However, significant differences in fruit oil content between Pa populations were observed. Further, FA composition varied significantly among species and between Pa populations. The main FAs were oleic (17%–73%), palmitic (17%–41%), linoleic (2%–32%), and stearic (3%–13%) acids. The mesocarp oil of some Pa palms contained a high amount (>20%) of linoleic acid and a low amount of saturated FA (<25%). A high variability of total tocochromanol (89, 122, and 145 mg/kg oil for Pa, An, and Ad, respectively) and total carotenoids (96, 42, and 157 mg/kg for Pa, An, and Ad, respectively) content was also found.
Conclusion: The fruits of the neglected Phytelepheae palms may represent a valuable source of lipids, including the essential FA linoleic acid and lipid-soluble vitamins, and help to diversify dietary lipid sources in Ecuadorian geographical areas where there is a high rate of saturated fat consumption.