Identification of terpenes and phytosterols in Dipteryx alata (baru) oil seeds obtained through pressing

Abstract

The oil from seeds of Dipteryx alata Vogel, Fabaceae, popularly known as baru, was extracted by hydraulic and continuous screw pressing. A total of eleven chemical constituents obtained by hydraulic press- ing, including steroids, mono and sesquiterpenes and tocopherol derivatives were identified by gas chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (GC–MS). Compounds limonene, ␤-elemene, ␥-elemene, ␣-caryophyllene, ␤-caryophyllene, campesterol, stigmasterol, ␤-sitosterol and cycloartenol are being described for the first time in the baru oil.