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Prosopis farcta Seeds: Potential Source of Protein and Unsaturated Fatty Acids?

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Journal of the American Oil Chemists' Society

Abstract

The goal of this study is to evaluate the chemical composition of the Prosopis farcta seeds. The Kjeldahl method revealed that the level of the total protein was ca. 18 % on a dry weight basis (DW). Gas chromatographic analysis revealed the presence of six fatty acids. Linoleic acid with 57.55 % was the major fatty acid, followed by oleic and palmitic acids (24.58 and 12.91 %, respectively). Total phenolic content was 1.71 mg GAE/g DW (GAE = gallic acid equivalents). Methanolic extracts showed important antioxidant properties. This work highlights the importance of P. farcta seeds as natural and inexpensive sources of protein, unsaturated fatty acid, and phenolic compounds for both cosmetic and pharmaceutical uses.

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Acknowledgments

We are very grateful to the INRGREF for help with samples collection. Authors would like to thank the National Institute of Meteorology for the meteorological data. Authors would also like to thank Dr. Wissem Zarrouk and Dr. Meriam Tir. The authors are also grateful to the anonymous referees and the editor for their useful comments on the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Département de Biologie, Faculté des Sciences de Tunis, Université Tunis El-Manar, 2092, Tunis, Tunisia

    Houda Ben Lajnef, Sheyma Khemiri, Nizar Nasri & Nizar Tlili

  2. Laboratoire des Substances Bioactives, Centre de Biotechnologie à la Technopole de Borj-Cédria (CBBC), Hammam-Lif, BP 901, Tunis, Tunisia

    Houda Mejri

  3. Unité de Biochimie Macromoléculaire et Génétique, Faculté des Sciences de Gafsa, cité Zarroug, Université de Gafsa, 2112, Gafsa, Tunisia

    Anouer Feriani

  4. Station Régional de Gabès, Institut National de Recherches en Génie Rural, Eaux et Forêts, Université de Carthage, BP 10, 2080, Ariana, Tunisia

    Ezzeddine Saadaoui

  5. Institut National de Recherches en Génie Rural, Eaux et Forêts, Université de Carthage, BP 10, 2080, Ariana, Tunisia

    Nizar Tlili

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  1. Houda Ben Lajnef
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Correspondence to Nizar Tlili.

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Lajnef, H.B., Mejri, H., Feriani, A. et al. Prosopis farcta Seeds: Potential Source of Protein and Unsaturated Fatty Acids?. J Am Oil Chem Soc 92, 1043–1050 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11746-015-2660-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11746-015-2660-1

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