Characterization of Triacylglycerides, Proteins and Saponin Content in Seeds of Xanthoceras sorbifolium B.

Xanthoceras sorbifolium B., also known as yellowhorn, or goldenhorn is a woody perennial plant belonging to the Sapindaceae family. It is native to northern China where is cultivated in marginal lands. Xanthoceras is a small tree which fruit consist of an oval leathery capsule containing seeds rich in oil. The oil and hulls from this plant are used in traditional Chinese medicine, and cosmetics. This work is part of a project that tries to study Xanthoceras seed products. Xanthoceras oil is rich in oleic and linoleic acids with moderate contents of very long chain fatty acids, which include gondoic (20:1), erucic (22:1) and nervoic (24:1) acids. The distribution of fatty acids within the triacylglycerol molecules was similar to that found in most seed oils, being the TAG species containing two linolenic and one monounsaturated moiety the most abundant ones. The extracted Xanthoceras meal was rich in protein that accounts for up the 35% of the kernel weight. Attending to solubility, albumins and globulins were the predominant protein fractions. Furthermore, Xanthoceras oil meal was rich in arginine and branched-chain amino acids. One of the most valuable compounds in these seeds was their saponins, which are sterol or triterpene glycosides with antioxidant and biological activities. Saponins were determined in different seed fractions, remaining mainly in the seed hull. Most of the determined saponins corresponded to the triterpenic saponine family. The possible applications of Xanthoceras seeds and oil are discussed at the view of the results.Peer Reviewe