Physico-chimie des fruits du safoutier (Dacryodes edulis) camerounais

Physico-Chemistry of Cameroonian Safou Tree Fruits Dacryodes edulis. Safou tree (Dacryodes edulis) is a part of the agrarian landscapes of tropical countries. Although it is known as a multiple purposes tree, it is still underexploited. This is due to the lack of scientific knowledge and data. The aim of this work is to determine the physicochemical properties of safou tree fruits. These fruits, called safou, are consumed less than two days after harvest. The morphologic character vary according to the area and the types. In Cameroon, oil content varies from 47.4 to 61.1 % according to the agro-climatic areas : soudano saharian, high lands and continental area. The fatty acid composition of the oil, determined by gas chromatographie on capillary column, is rich in palmatic acid (35.4-46.0 % of total fatty acids) and in oleic acid (27.2-39.8 %). Analysis of triglycerides shows that 4 triglycerides only represent more than 70 % of total triglycerides : palmitodiolein (19.2-27 %), dipalmito-olein (16.8-26.1 %), palmito-oleo-linolein (14.7-18.5 %), dipalmito-linolein (10.5-17.6 %)