Lipid profile of oils from <i>Irvingia gabonensis</i> (Baill) seeds and its deterioration by a phytopathogenic fungal species

Abstract

As a survival strategy, fungi are capable of degrading most organic substances. Fungi associated with diseased Irvingia gabonensis (Baill) seeds are suspected to possess the ability to degrade the hydrocarbon substances contained in these seeds. The work seeks to contribute to literature on the physico-chemical nature of oils from healthy and diseased seeds of I. gabonensis and to determine the corresponding extent of deterioration in this oil from Aspergillus oryzae infected seeds. Using standard laboratory methods, oils from healthy and A.oryzae infected seeds of I. gabonensis seed were extracted and subjected to a complete physico-chemical characterization. In addition, a Gas chromatographic profiling of the Fatty Acid Methyl Ester (FAME) from both oils was also done. Results from the study show that oil from I. gabonensis seed is of a high nutritive and industrial quality. Also, A. oryzae significantly (p = 0.05) affected the physico- chemical attributes and fatty acid profile of this oil, thus confirming its ability to deteriorate the quality and usefulness of this oil.

Keywords: Irvingia gabonensis seed oil, oil deterioration, oil ranciditity, Fatty Acid Methyl Ester (FAME) and phytopathogenic fungi