Pigments and calorific power of palm kernel oil produced in Togo: Nutritional and pharmacological interest

Abstract

Local vegetable oils are of interest through their food, cosmetic and therapeutic uses. Among these oils, palm kernel oil is used in soap making, diet and traditional medicine. However, palm kernel oil remains little studied and valued in Togo. This study aims to contribute to the valorization of this oil by evaluating its calorific value, its content of chlorophyll pigments and carotenoids. The results obtained have shown that the palm kernel oils analyzed have chlorophylls levels approaching that of olive oil and contains carotenoids. Moreover, the calorific value of these oils is higher than 35000 KJ and therefore nutritionally interesting. From this study, we can conclude that the palm kernel oil produced in Togo is of nutritional and pharmacological interest through its contents in pigments and its calorific value. However, considering its concentration in saturated fatty acids and therefore its cholesterol-lowering character, its use in feeding should be done sparingly.