PERFIL DE ÁCIDOS GRAXOS DE ÓLEO DE SEMENTE DE ROMÃ (PUNICA GRANATUM L.) POR PRENSAGEM A FRIO

Abstract

Pomegranate (Punica granatum L.), belonging to the Punicaceae family, is a fruit that is highly appreciated due to its valuable medicinal potential and the content of phytochemicals. It is originally from Central Asia but is distributed throughout the global territory. The oil obtained from the pomegranate seed is a source of punicic acid, an isomer of linolenic acid that has a beneficial effect on human health. Different methods have been used for oil extraction, including cold pressing that uses pressure to obtain and does not use chemical solvents. This study aimed to evaluate the fatty acid profile, especially punicic acid, by Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry (GC/MS) of oils, obtained by cold pressing, from pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) seeds cultivated in the Northeast region of Brazil. Eight fatty acids were detected in two batches of cold-pressed pomegranate seed oil of which two are polyunsaturated fatty acids (linoleic acid and punicic acid) and a monounsaturated acid (oleic acid). The main component, punicic acid, presented a range of 85.1 to 86.98%, linoleic acid 4.07 to 4.28%, and oleic 3.33 to 4.30% of the total fatty acids. The content of punicic acid, compared to other studies, was promising since an ecologically sustainable extraction was used, which minimizes impacts to the environment. Thus, cold-pressed pomegranate seed oil was a great source of punicic acid.