Effect of fruit ripening on fatty acids regiodistribution and glycerides molecular species of oil from interspecific hybrid elaeis oleifera x E. guineensis grown in Colombia.

To date In Colombia have been planted more than 25000 hectares of interspecific hybrid Elaeis oleifera x E. guineensis. Yield and morphology of F1 hybrids E. guineensis x E. oleifera (O × G) are discussed in Chia et al. (2009); phenology of the O × G interspecific hybrid are recently described by Hormaza et al. (2012); genome size was estimated by Madon, Phoon, Clyde and Mohd (2008). However, there is a lack of current and accurate information concerning the chemical composition and nutritional properties. For that reason, hybrid palm oil, which can undoubtedly represent a good opportunity for the future development of Colombian edible oil sector, is currently and exclusively used as a source of biodiesel production. In our recent study (Mozzon et al. 2013), we have fully characterized, for the first time, the composition and structure of triacylglycerols (TAGs) and partial glycerides of crude palm oil obtained from interspecific hybrid E. oleifera x E. guineensis grown in Colombia (Food Chemistry; accepted manuscript). The study revealed interesting nutritional properties of oils obtained from interspecific hybrid palm, such as a higher percentage of oleic acid with respect to the oils from African palm oil. Nevertheless, physical and chemical changes occurring in the oil E. guineensis x E. oleifera hybrid mesocarp during the maturation are completely unknown.