Fatty Acid profiling of Seed Oils Isolated from Three Artocarpus Species as Potential Source of Health-promoting Edible Oils

Fatty acid profiling of Artocarpus seed oils

Abstract

Plant seeds are a major source of edible oils and contain health-promoting unsaturated fatty acids such as  oleic, linoleic, and α-linolenic acids. The increasing demand for alternative edible oils has driven interest in underutilized seed resources. Seeds of Artocarpus species, namely tarap (Artocarpus odoratissimus), cempedak (Artocarpus integer), and jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus), are commonly discarded as agricultural waste after fruit consumption. This study evaluated the oil yield and fatty acid composition of these seeds using GC-FID to assess their potential as edible oils. Tarap seeds exhibited the highest oil yield (19.02 ± 2.14 g/100 g dry weight), whereas cempedak and jackfruit seeds contained significantly lower yields (1.16 ± 0.32 and 0.94 ± 0.19 g/100 g dry weight, respectively). Tarap seed oil was rich in cis-linoleic acid, oleic acid, and the rare omega-9 fatty acid nervonic acid. It also demonstrated a more favourable polyunsaturated-to-saturated fatty acid (P/S) ratio than palm kernel, peanut, and corn oils. These findings suggest that tarap seed oil is a promising alternative edible oil with potential nutraceutical and health benefits.