Nutritional and Biochemical Characterization of Palm Kernel Oil (Elaeis guineensis) from Three Traditional Oil Palm Accessions from Man Region, Côte d'Ivoire

Abstract

Aims: To nutritionally evaluate three traditional oil palm specimens from the Man region (Côte d'Ivoire) and contribute to the valorization of palm kernel oil. Study Design: Comparative physicochemical, biochemical and nutritional characterization of palm kernel oil from three traditional specimens, with triplicate analyses and one-way analysis of variance. Place and Duration of Study: Palm bunches from three traditional specimens of the Man region (Douèlè, Dompleu, Gbatongouin), introduced by open pollination in 2014, were collected and analyzed at the CNRA La Mé Research Station, Côte d'Ivoire. Methodology: Oil was extracted by the Soxhlet method; acidity and iodine value by near-infrared spectrometry; total polyphenols by the Folin-Ciocalteu method; fatty acids by gas chromatography; and vitamins A and E by ultra-performance liquid chromatography. Daily vitamin intakes were estimated from a mean daily palm kernel oil consumption of 27.1 g/day and compared with recommended dietary allowances (RDA). Data were analyzed by one-way ANOVA and Tukey's HSD test (p < .05). Results: Oil yield averaged 49.85±2.9%, with acidity of 1.77±0.24%, iodine value of 16.93±0.57 g I2/100g and moisture of 0.2±0.02%, similar across specimens (p > 0.05). Lauric acid (C12:0) was the dominant fatty acid (40.34-48.21%), followed by oleic (14.61-18.66%) and myristic acid (14.06-18.57%), with highly significant differences among specimens (p < 0.01). Vitamin A content ranged from 22.63 to 34.38 mg RE/kg, vitamin E from 24.47 to 32.97 mg/kg, and total polyphenols from 64.87 to 91.50 mg GAE/g (p < 0.001). Estimated daily intakes covered 72% to over 310% of the vitamin A RDA and only 5 to 18% of the vitamin E RDA. Conclusion: Palm kernel oil from the traditional Man specimens is a lauric oil with appreciable nutritional potential, notably as a source of vitamin A, and shows significant specimen-related variability that supports its inclusion among varietal selection criteria.