Nutritional, Physical, and Chemical Properties of the Fat from Black Tamarind (Dialium guineense) Harvested in Toumodi (Côte d’Ivoire)

Abstract

Background: Black tamarind (Dialium guineense) seeds are an underutilised plant resource that may provide a source of vegetable fat for food and non-food applications. This study evaluated the physical, chemical, and nutritional properties of fat extracted from D. guineense seeds harvested in Toumodi, Côte d’Ivoire. Methods: Fruits were collected from three villages, pooled, shelled, soaked to remove the pulp, dried at 50°C for 24 hours, ground, and stored before analysis. Fat was extracted from the seed flour by Soxhlet extraction using hexane. The extracted fat was assessed for extraction yield, density, pH, moisture content, refractive index, deterioration of bleachability index, acid value, saponification value, iodine value, peroxide value, carotenoid content, and fatty acid profile. Results: The extraction yield was 10.98 ± 0.12%. The fat had a low moisture content, an acid value of 1.03 ± 0.10 mg KOH/g, a peroxide value of 9.62 ± 0.02 mEq O₂/kg, a saponification value of 172.88 ± 0.27 mg KOH/g, and an iodine value of 86.32 ± 0.05 g I₂/100 g. The carotenoid content was 108.65 ± 0.68 mg/100 g. Oleic acid was the predominant fatty acid, followed by palmitic, stearic, and linoleic acids. The reported unsaturated fatty acid content was 64.50%. Conclusion: The findings indicate that D. guineense seed fat has physicochemical characteristics that may support further evaluation for food and cosmetic applications.