Análisis Proximal de Semillas no Comunes: Palma Chilena (Jubaea chilensis), Cilantro (Coriandrum sativum), Mora (Rubus glaucus), Rosa Mosqueta (Rosa aff. rubiginosa) y Caracterización de su Aceite

En América, la Región Andina constituye un gran centro de origen y “domesticación” de numerosas especies vegetales alimenticias y sus semillas pueden ser buena fuente de nutrientes, compuestos bioactivos y tener aplicación en el desarrollo de alimentos funcionales. Los aceites de origen vegetal, han sido ampliamente estudiados en los últimos 20 años. El efecto en la salud de la cantidad y tipo de aceites ingeridos ha generado gran interés en el ámbito científico. Los resultados del análisis proximal de las cuatro semillas estudiadas son variados. En el coquito de palma chilena el componente mayoritario son los lípidos, en las otras semillas lo es la fibra dietética. El mayor contenido de proteínas lo presenta la semilla de cilantro con un 12%, seguido de la semilla de mora con 10%. El contenido graso es muy dispar, el coquito de palma contiene en promedio 68,6%, el cilantro 3,1%, la mora 16,5% y la rosa mosqueta 7,9%. La composición de la materia grasa de las semillas es amplia, el aceite de coquito de palma chilena contiene un predominio de ácidos grasos saturados, el de semilla de cilantro es monoinsaturado, con predominio del ác. petroselínico. En el caso de la semilla de mora y la de rosa mosqueta, los aceites de ambas son poliinsaturados. El contenido de ácido linoleico, esencial para el ser humano, varia en cada semilla, mientras el menor porcentaje lo posee el aceite de palma chilena, con 2%, el mayor lo presentan el aceite de mora con 59% y el de rosa mosqueta con 44,20%. El aceite de cilantro contiene 13,75%, lo cual es bajo considerando que contiene casi 80% de ácidos monoinsaturados. El contenido de ácido linolénico es importante sólo en las semillas de mora y rosa mosqueta con 9,15 y 31,73% respectivamente. Los compuestos bioactivos presentes en el aceite de las semillas estudiadas, tocoferoles y fitoesteroles, están en cantidades importantes en las semillas de mora, cilantro y rosa mosqueta. El contenido de tocoferoles, como era esperable estuvo en cantidades mayores en aquellos aceites más poliinsaturados
 In America, the Andes Region constitutes a great center where many vegetables species have had their origin and where the ancient native habitants adapted them for edible purposes and their seeds actually can be a good source of different nutrients, bioactive compounds, and to be applied as new ingredients in the development of functional foods. Different seeds oils have been widely studied in the last twenty years. Their benefic health effects related to the quantity and quality of their intake by the different populations in the world have produced a great interest in the scientific field. The results obtained in this study for the proximate analysis for four seeds show a great variation. In the case of the chilean palm coconut the major component is fat, in the other seeds is dietary fiber. Coriander seeds present the major protein content with a 12%, followed by blackberry with 10%. Fat content is quite different among the studied seeds. Chilean palm coconut has a mean of 68.6%, coriander seed 3.1%, blackberry seed 16.5% and rose hip seed 7.9%. The fatty acid composition of the fat extracted from each seed also is very different. In the case of chilean palm coconut, saturated fatty acid group is predominant, being lauric acid the main with 42%. Coriander seed oil is mainly monounsaturated, with the predominance of petroselinic acid with 69%. For Blackberry and Rose hip seed oil the principal fatty acid group is polyunsaturated. Linoleic acid, which is essential for human beings, presents a great variation among the seeds oils studied. The lesser content was found for chilean palm coconut with 2%. The highest contents were found for blackberry seed oil and rose hip seed oil with 59 and 44.2% respectively. Coriander seed oils contains 13.75%, value which is considered low compared with its high content in monounsaturated fatty acids of 80%. Linolenic acid, the other essential fatty acid for human beings is only important in blackberry and rose hip seeds oils with 9.15 and 31.7% respectively. The bioactive compounds present in the plant seeds studied as tocopherols and phytosterols, are present in important quantities in blackberry, coriander and rose hip seed oils. The Tocopherol content was higher in those polyunsaturated fatty acids seed oils, than in the more saturated ones, as it was expected