Chemical characterisation and antioxidant activity of Aphandra natalia mesocarp and its oil from the Amazon region of Ecuador

The Aphandra natalia palm is a species of monotypic genus Aphandra belonging to the Arecaceae family and is native to South America, mainly in the western part of the Amazon basin in Ecuador, Peru, and Brazil. In this study, we determined the physicochemical characteristics of A. natalia fruit mesocarp, as well as its fatty acid composition, the total polyphenol content (TPC), lipophilic antioxidant compounds and total antioxidant capacity. The fatty acids profile was determined using GC–MS analysis and TPC and antioxidant activity by Folin Ciocalteu’s reagent method and by radical scavenging activity (1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl free radical [DPPH]), respectively regarding their oil. A high value of 57.92% of total lipids was obtained, thus it can be considered as new source of vegetable oil. The oil extracted from A. natalia mesocarp had a high oleic acid content (71.92%), which is a characteristic closer to the composition of olive oil than traditional palm oil. TPC value (83.57 ± 1.84 mg GAE kg⁻¹ of oil) obtained from A. natalia fruit pulp oil is similar to some olive oil varieties. However, its oil presents smaller antioxidant activity than olive oils usually have.