Characterization of Neocarya Macrophylla Seed Oil using Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) and Fourier Transform Infra-Red (FT-IR) Techniques

Aim: Modern researches described incorporating gingerbread plum (Neocarya macrophylla) kernel oils into food, cosmetics and pharmaceutical products by exploiting its physicochemical properties.

Study Design: Experimental and instrumental study was done to determine the general and the saturated fatty acids present in the seed oil and its suitability for industrial applications. This study examined the fatty acids by qualitative determination from hexane extracts of Neocarya macrophylla seed using GC-MS.

Materials and Methods: Indigenous Neocarya macrophylla seeds obtained from Gingerbread plum tree were collected in the Month of August from Birnin Kebbi, Kebbi State, Nigeria. soxhlet extraction method was used for the oil extraction. The GC-MS analysis was by coupling system of Shimadzu QP2010 series gas chromatography with Shimadzu QP2010 plus mass spectroscopy detector (GCMS). For the FT-IR analysis, software of OMNIC operating system (Version 7.0 Thermo Nicolet) was connected to Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrometer Nicolet 8400S equipped with a detector of deuterated triglycine sulphate (DTGS).

Conclusion: These results showed the potential of this oil in cosmetic industry.