title: Minor lipid components of some Acacia species: potential dietary health benefits of the unexploited seeds.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Oilseed samples from four Acacia species ( A. cyclops, A. ligulata, A. salicina and A. cyanophylla) were analyzed in order to evaluate the potential nutritional value of their unexploited seeds.
  
  
  METHODS
  Samples were collected from different Tunisian geographic locations. Seed oils were extracted and carotenoids, tocopherols and sterols were analyzed using chromatographic methods.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The studied Acacia seeds seem to be quite rich in lipids (from 6% to 12%). All Acacia species contain mainly the xanthophylls zeaxanthin and lutein compounds: from ca. 38 mg.kg⁻¹ of total lipids (A. cyclops) to ca. 113 mg.kg⁻¹ of total lipids (A. cyanophylla). Total tocopherols varied from ca. 221 mg.kg⁻¹ of total lipids (A. cyclops) to ca. 808 mg.kg-1 of total lipids (A. ligulata). Sterols are highly present and their contents ranged between ca. 7 g. kg⁻¹ of total lipids (A. salicina) and 11 g. kg⁻¹ of total lipids (A. cyclops).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study highlights that these unexploited seeds might have a potential nutritional value and encourages researchers to more explore and find developments for these plants for healthy purposes.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Biochimie, Campus Universitaire, Tunis 2092, Tunisia. Nizar.Nasri@fst.rnu.tn
authors.forename: Nizar
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Nasri
authors.forename: Walid
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Elfalleh
authors.forename: Nizar
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Tlili
authors.forename: Hédia
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hannachi
authors.forename: Saida
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Triki
authors.forename: Abdelhamid
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Khaldi
mesh_terms: D000045:Acacia / Q000737:chemistry*; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid / Q000592:standards; D014975:Lutein / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification; D010840:Phytosterols / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification; D010938:Plant Oils / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D012015:Reference Standards; D012639:Seeds / Q000737:chemistry*; D024505:Tocopherols / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification; D024341:Xanthophylls / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification; D065146:Zeaxanthins
chemical_list: D010840:Phytosterols; D010938:Plant Oils; D024341:Xanthophylls; D065146:Zeaxanthins; D024505:Tocopherols; D014975:Lutein