Fatty acid composition of seeds from the Australian Acacia species

Abstract

Presented are the lipid content and fatty acid composition of 20 species of edible Australian Acacia seeds. Aborigines reportedly have used at least 18 of these as foods. Seed lipid content ranged from 3% to 22%, with an average of 11% on a dry weight basis. Linoleic (12-71%), oleic (12-56%) and plamitic (7-35%) acids were the major fatty acids. Smaller proportions of behenic, stearic and vaccenic acids were detected. Seventeen of the 20 species were found to have polyunsaturated to saturated (P/S) fatty acid ratios greater than 1, with four species having ratios in excess of 4. The persistent arils attached to the seeds of certain Australian Acacias and containing a portion of the total lipid were associated with a significantly reduced proportion of linoleic acid in the total seed material. This observation was explained by the aril lipid possessing a markedly different fatty acid composition from that of the seed lipid. For comparison, seeds from two non-Australian Acacia species (A. farnesiana and A. cavenia) were analyzed. Australian and non-Australian were found to exhibit markedly different fatty acid profiles. © 1987 American Oil Chemists' Society.