The Chemical Composition of Oils and Cakes of Ochna serrulata (Ochnaceae) and Other Underutilized Traditional Oil Trees from Western Zambia

Currently, the negative effects of unified and intensive agriculture are of growing concern. To mitigate them, the possibilities of using local but nowadays underused crop for food production should be more thoroughly investigated and promoted. The soybean is the major crop cultivated for vegetable oil production in Zambia, while the oil production from local oil-bearing plants is neglected. The chemical composition of oils and cakes of a three traditional oil plant used by descendants of the Lozi people for cooking were investigated. Parinari curatellifolia and Schinziophyton rautanenii oils were chiefly composed of α-eleostearic (28.58–55.96%), linoleic (9.78–40.18%), and oleic acid (15.26–24.07%), whereas Ochna serrulata contained mainly palmitic (35.62–37.31%), oleic (37.31–46.80%), and linoleic acid (10.61–18.66%); the oil yield was high (39–71%). S. rautanenii and O. serrulata oils were rich in γ-tocopherol (3236.18 μg/g, 361.11 μg/g, respectively). The O. serrulata oil also had a very distinctive aroma predominantly composed of p-cymene (52.26%), m-xylene (9.63%), γ-terpinene (9.07%), o-xylene (7.97), and limonene (7.23%). The cakes remaining after oil extraction are a good source of essential minerals, being rich in N, P, S, K, Ca, and Mg. These plants have the potential to be introduced for use in the food, technical, or pharmaceutical industries.     

石楠叶红、绿色素成分比较及抗氧化活性研究

采用多溶剂筛选最佳提取溶剂;以紫外分光光度法、高效液相色谱法、红外光谱法系统比较石楠红、绿色素成分的差别;同时考察红、绿色素对DPPH·清除能力、还原Fe3+能力和清除·OH自由基能力。结果以90%乙醇和乙酸乙酯-乙醇(1∶1)提取红色素、绿色素效果较好;通过显色反应、紫外光谱、红外光谱鉴别和高效液相色谱分析,基本确定红色素成分为黄酮类,绿色素成分为叶绿素类。抗氧化实验结果表明,在达到最大浓度0.34mg·m L-1时,石楠叶红、绿色素和维生素C对DPPH·清除率依次为79.6%,70.8%,66.9%,红、绿色素对·OH自由基的清除率依次为67.1%,51.2%,且红色素还原Fe3+能力较强。     

Triterpenoids from the Edible Leaves of Photinia serrulata

Five new triterpenoids, serrulatins A–E ( 1 – 5 ), including two new artifacts, together with ten known serrulatins, were isolated from the edible leaves of Photinia serrulata after extraction and purification. Their structures were identified on the basis of spectroscopic methods including 2D NMR experiments. Compounds 1 and 3 are unusual ursolic triterpenoids characterized by the occurrence of a C(13)?C(18) bond.