Abstract

Skin and digestive fat content (DFC) oils from Rhynchophorus palmarum L. larva (Curculionidae) were extracted and their physicochemical properties were characterized. Water content (0.41 %) of skin oil was higher than the amount of DFC (0.04 %). While, the lipid fraction of the skin (35.16%) was slightly lower than the DFC (49.05%). The fatty acid compositions of the both oils were determined. Results showed that the most abundant fatty acids in skin and DFC oils were palmitic and oleic acids. In both oils, oleic fatty acid showed the highest percentage of composition of 45.62 and 46.71% for skin and DFC, respectively with palmitic acid followed close by 39.87 and 40.44%, respectively. In this study, saturated fatty acids accounted for 45.06 and 44.97% of total fatty acids, for skin and DFC oils, respectively. Myristic, myristoleic, stearic and linoleic acids were also detected in the both oils. Physicochemical properties of skin and DFC oils respectively include: iodine index, 51.22 and 48.35; acid value, 4.72 and 2.21; saponification value, 189.22 and 198.26; unsaponifiable matter, 0.97 and 0.98; peroxide index, 6.90 and 0; oleic acidity, 7.76 and 0.568; vitamin A, 0 and 12.04 and refractive index, 1.45440 and 1.45424. Results suggested that Skin and DFC oils from R. palmarum L. larva could deserve further consideration and investigation as a potential new multi-purpose product for nutritional, industrial, cosmetic and pharmaceutical uses.

Key words: Fatty acids, digestive fat content, skin of larvae, oil, Rhynchophorus palmarum.