Potential of some autochthonous wild plants of Burundi for vegetable oil and valuable compounds production

Parinari curatellifolia: A treasure trove of phytochemicals, nutritional benefits, and biological activities

The increasing impact of climate change and growing consumer interest in healthful foods have forced a reconsideration of indigenous plants as sustainable food resources. Parinari curatellifolia, popularly known as Mobola plum, is a prominent African underutilized plant whose natural habitat stretches from West to Southern Africa. It is an important source of food and ethnomedicines across Africa, a status boosted by the rich content of nutrients and phytochemicals in its different plant parts. Extracts from the different parts of the P. curatellifolia plant, which include leaves, pulp, seed, and whole fruit, have exhibited a broad range of health benefits, promoting its valorization into value-added products that are being marketed globally. This article provides a comprehensive review of the literature on P. curatellifolia, critically discussing its nutritional composition, bioactive phytochemicals, biological activities, safety and allergenicity, application in ethnomedicine, and value-added food and cosmetic products. To incite further research on this plant and its consideration as a vital resource that can be sustainably utilized to improve food and nutrition security and human health, the knowledge gaps and prospects of P. curatellifolia are highlighted.

Lipid composition and antioxidant activities of some underused wild plants seeds from Burundi

Fatty acids, phytosterols, total phenolic content, and radical-scavenging activity were determined in seed oils of 12 wild plants from natural ecosystems in Burundi. Among the 13 fatty acids identified, palmitic, oleic, linoleic, and stearic acids were found predominant throughout all oils, except Parinari curatellifolia oil which showed a high amount of erucic acid (58.41% ± 0.77). The most dominant sterol was found to be β-sitosterol in all oils and was followed by stigmasterol in 8 kinds of oils and campesterol in 3 kinds of oils. The highest total phenolic contents were observed in P. curatellifolia, Tephrosia vogelii, and Uvaria angolensis oils, with, respectively, 2.16 ± 0.26, 1.43 ± 0.33, and 1.27 ± 0.39 mg gallic acid equivalent/g oil. Some of these oils exhibited a higher ability to scavenge DPPH radicals. The antioxidant capacity of 8 species ranged from 1.18 to 18.08 mmol acid ascorbic equivalent/g oil. Based on these findings, such oils could be used in different domains such as food, cosmetic, pharmaceutical, and lipochemistry.