This work carried out the chemical characterization, tocols and phytosterol contents from the seed oil of the species Barnebya harleyi and Diplopterys pubipetala Croton adamantinus (Euphorbiaceae), Couroupita guianensis (Malpighiaceae), (Lecythidaceae) and Hippocratea volubilis (Celastraceae) which are found in Brazil. The centesimal composition of the seeds was carried out in accordance with the AOAC (2000) and the carbohydrate content + alimentary fiber was estimated by the difference of the other components, using the following equation: CC=100% - (% humidity + % proteins + % lipids + % ash). To make the analysis of the tocols and phytosterols, the seed oils were extracted through the Soxhlet apparatus using n-hexane as solvent. The tocols were analyzed by with HPLC (High Performance Liquid Chromatography) and the components identified by compararison of the retention times and UV spectrum with HPLC patterns (α-, β-, γ- e δ- tocopherol and α-, β-, γ- e δ-tocotrienol). The sterol composition was evaluated by GC-FID according to the method of the NP EN ISO 12228 (1999). Patterns used identification was acquired of Sigma including cholestanol, cholesterol, campesterol, stigmasterol, β-sitosterol, β-sitostanol and betulin. The protein contents ranged from 9,6g/100 g H. volubilis to 30,5 g/100 g in D. pubipetala. The carbohydrate contents ranged from 14,6 g/100 g in Barnebya harleyi to 33,8 g/100 g in Croton adamantinus. The ash contents ranged from 7,78g/100 g in C. guianensis to 2,13 g/100 g in H. volubilis. The oil contents obtained from the seeds ranged from 35,5 g/100 g in C. guianensis to 49,9 g/100 g in H. volubilis. The total contents of tocols ranged from 25,1 mg/100 g in C. guianensis to 72,7 mg/100 g in B. harleyi. α-Tocopherol, γ- tocopherol and γ-tocotrienol were detected in all the oils from the species analyzed while δ- tocotrienol was detected only in the oil from B. harleyi. D. pubipetala was the species with the highest amount of α–tocopherol (23 mg/100 g oil). C. adamantinus presented the highest quantity of γ-tocopherol (63,3 mg/100 g). Among the tocotrienols, γ-tocotrienol reached the highest value (5,0 mg/100 g oil) in B. harleyi, the only species analyzed containing tocols in the oil. The total contents of phytosterols in the oil ranged from 79,81 mg/100 g in C. guianensis to 91,57 mg/100 g in the oil from C. adamantinus. Cholesterol was detected in small amounts in all analyzed species, ranging from 0,26 mg/100 g in C. guianensis to 0,90 mg/100 g in D. pubipetala. β-Sitosterol, campesterol, and ∆7-stigmastanol were the most representative phytosterols in the five investigated species. Two non identified peaks after ∆7- avenasterol (TR-24,440 and TR-24,680) in the chromatogram of the oil of C. guianensis corresponded to 57mg/100 g of the sterol fraction. In addition to these compounds, the clerosterol and campestanol were found in all the samples in small quantities and ∆7- avenasterol, with exception of C. guianensis. β-sitosterol was the phytosterol with the highest contents, particularly in C. adamantinus, B. harleyi and H. volubilis, with, respectively, 71,85, 70,40, and 62,64 mg/100 g. ∆7-estigmastanol was the second most abundant phytosterol in H. volubilis, D. pubipetala and B. harleyi, with, respectively, 12,26, 12,22 and 7,13mg/100 g. The results of this work, though exclusive for some species, are complementary, aiming to provide information on vitamin E, phytosterols and centesimal composition of the oil of some species with promising perspectives of economical benefits in Brazilian Northeast.
