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Phenolic compounds and oil of orange and passion fruit seeds

Abstract:

The generation and bad disposition of by-products of agricultural and agro-industrial activities cause damage to the environment, however, these by-products can contain compounds of high economic value that nowadays are little used. In the present research, the oils of orange and passion fruit seeds were characterized about their density, refractive index, saponification index, acid value and fatty acid profile; also the content of phenolic compounds and the antioxidant activity of the peels and seeds of orange and passion fruit were determined. The results show that both the seeds and the peels of both fruits can be considered good sources of phenolic compounds (39.72-60.74 mg GAE.g b.s-1), however, they presented a lower antioxidant capacity, in comparison with other fruits as Passiflora tripartita, Vaccinium floribundum and Prunus salicifoli, the three considered good sources of phenolic compounds and with high antioxidant activity. The oil of passion fruit seed showed a profile of fatty acids with a high percentage of unsaturated fatty acids and low percentage of saturated fatty acids, considered ideal for edible oils with possible applications on the food industry.