Variation in Sterculia foetida Seed Oil Content among different Landscapes in South Gujarat vis-a-vis Oil Phytochemical and Fatty Acid Composition

The present study aimed to find out the variation in Sterculia foetida seed oil content across different landscapes (L1 & L8-arboreal; L2-agricultural and L3-L7-city avenue plantations) of South Gujarat, India and its oil phytochemical and fatty acid composition. The sampling locations were comprised of eight landscapes falling in three districts namely Narmada (lies in the Satpura mountain ranges and the Narmada River basin), Navsari and Valsad (Arabian Sea coast). Findings deduced significant (P ≤ 0.05) variation in S. foetida seed oil content among the landscapes and it ranged from 38.43 to 53.23% with overall average of 44.16%. Further, the gas-chromatography mass-spectrometry analysis revealed 11 volatile compounds in oil. Based on relative percentage most abundant were 9-Octadecanone (88.67), stigmasterol (78.74), 2-Decanone (78.02) and nonanoic acid (76.55). Gass chromatography analysis of Total Fatty Acid Methyl Esters (FAME) of S. foetida seed oil revealed 6 compounds. Among them maximum amount (57.06%) was of palmitoleic acid. The total saturated fatty acids, monounsaturated fatty acids and poly unsaturated acids were 19.48%, 18.37% and 62.13%, respectively. Corroboration of detected kernel oil phytochemicals and fatty acids, in the present study, with available literature expressed that these compounds have many biological properties indicating it beneficial for human being.