Oenocarpus bataua Mart. (Arecaceae): Rediscovering a Source of High Oleic Vegetable Oil from Amazonia

The fatty acid (FA) composition of Oenocarpus bataua oil from 38 samples collected over a large geographical range (i.e. French Guiana and Peru) was analyzed. Fifteen fatty acids were obtained from the mesocarp of this palm species. Oleic (72.7%) and palmitic (18.1%) acids were the predominant FAs. Minor FAs were cis ‐vaccenic acid (2.3%), linoleic acid (1.9%), stearic acid (1.7%), palmitoleic (0.9%) and alpha‐linolenic acid (0.8%). The mean lipid content of the dry mesocarp was 51.6%. The O. bataua oil samples analyzed were remarkably rich in α‐tocopherol. By contrast, the other fractions of the unsaponifiable matter (sterols, carotenoids) did not show any noteworthy specificity in comparison with common vegetable oils. However, the particularly high percentage in Δ5‐avenasterol of O. bataua oil could serve as a marker for its authentication. Results are discussed in terms of the potential nutritional value of O. bataua oil.