The fatty acid composition of six Orbignya phalerata samples of different cities from Maranhão State (Brazil) was studied. The oils were extracted by two methods using Soxhlet extractor and the fatty acid composition was evaluated by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis. The lipid fraction content showed that the solvent used influences lipid extraction, the highest percent was obtained with hexane. Lipid content ranged from 62.46-67.45%, with predominance of saturated fatty acids (80.32-87.80%), mainly lauric acid (C12:0) with 44.86 to 52.15%. Multivariate analysis showed the distribution of O. phalerata samples into three distinct regions and suggests that the oil chemical composition may be associated with their geographic location. These data show knowledge of the biodiversity of O. phalerata fatty acids among the different regions of the Maranhão State (Brazil).
babassu oil (Orbignya phalerata Martius); fatty acids; GC-MS; multivariate analysis
