BIODIESEL PRODUCTION AND ANTIOXIDANT CAPABILITY FROM SEEDS OF SALICORNIA BEGELOVII COLLECTED FROM AL JUBAIL,

EASTERN PROVINCE, SAUDI ARABIA

 

SARAH A. AL-RASHED¹, MOHAMED M. IBRAHIM^1,2,

MAYSA M.A. HATATA² AND GEHAN A. EL-GAALY¹

 

¹ King Saud University, Science College, Botany and Microbiology department, 11451-P.O. Box  2455 Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

²Alexandria University, Faculty of Science, Botany and Microbiology Department, 21511, Alexandria, Egypt

^*Corresponding author's email: mibramim@gmail.com

 

Abstract

 

Salicornia begelovii Torr  displays excessive biotechnological prospective as a salt-water irrigated crop. Qualitative and quantitative compositions of fatty acids were analyzed in the seeds of Salicornia begelovii collected from the eastern region, Al Jubail, Saudi Arabia. Hexane extraction of the seed oil from Salicornia begelovii yielded 29% of total lipids. The GC-MS (Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectroscopy) investigation of the hexane extracts revealed five major peaks for the seed oil: 72.5 wt.% linoleic-ω6 acid (18:2), 7.4 wt.% palmitic acid (16:0), 13.3 wt.% oleic acid (18:1), 2.14 wt.% stearic acid (18:0) and 2.3 wt.% linolenic-ω3 acid (18:3). The quantity of the both saturated palmitic and stearic acids amounted (9.18%) in S. begelovii seed oil. The antioxidant capability of S. begelovii seed oil were determined and expressed by hydroxyl radical scavenging assay, nitric oxide (NO) scavenging activity and radical scavenging effects of the extract on DPPH free radical were studied. The composition of the oil was nutritive and medical health value was high, in addition to, it’s composition very similar to that of safflower oil. No unwanted fatty acid constituents were established in S. begelovii seed oil, and it could be suggested for biofuel fabrication.

 

Key words: Salicornia, Fatty acids, Biodiesel, Antioxidant.