Physicochemical profile of the oil from the seed of Tontelea micrantha (Celastraceae)

The oil from the seed of Tontelea micrantha is utilized in traditional medicine as a topical antiseptic and as an anti-inflammatory for the treatment of respiratory diseases. The dynamic of the oil secretion in seed tissues was analyzed by transmission electron microscopy, classes of secondary compounds were identified by histochemical and phytochemical tests, the quality of the oil was determined by physical and chemical analysis, the fatty acid profile was obtained, and the volatile compounds were extracted by headspace method and identified by gas chromatography coupled to a mass spectrometer. The oil production takes place during the final stages of seed maturation, and large vacuoles are involved in its secretion and accumulation. Flavonoids, tannins and alkaloids, linoleic and oleic acids, α-pinene and junipene are present in the oil. Several of these compounds are known to have biological activity and may support the traditional medicinal use of the species.