Muhammad Akram Kashmiri, Sammia Yasmin*, Mushtaq Ahmad and Ayesha Mohy-ud-Din

Center for Plant Product Research, Department of Chemistry, GC. University, Lahore-54000, Pakistan
* Corresponding author: E-mail: sammiayasmin@yahoo.com;
Phone: 0092-3008864139

Abstract
The Physicochemical properties, macro and micro elements (Al, Cd, Ca,Fe, Pb, Mg, P, K, and Zn), fatty acids, total phenolic content, antioxidant and antibacterial activities of oil from seeds of two Abutilon species, grown wild in Pakistan were investigated. Abutilon indicum L. (Malvaceae) and Abutilon muticum DC. (Malvaceae) were found to contain 5.9 and 6.3% moisture, 25.1 and 28.3% crude fiber, 22.4 and 23.5% crude protein, 2.3 and 3.4% ash and 33.1 and 25.6% carbohydrate respectively. Seed total lipids were extracted, characterized by chromatographic techniques and analyzed by mass spectrometry. The oils were found to be rich in neutral lipids (95.2 and 94.7% of total lipids) and low in polar lipids (3.7 and 3.6% of total lipids) for A. indicum and A. muticum respectively. GC-MS data showed that the main fatty acid was linoleic acid in both the species. Total phenolic compounds in each sample were determined according to Follin-Ciocalteu’s method as, 13.770 and 38.815 mg/g of oil, respectively. Total antioxidant activity of both oils was checked by ABTS, FRAP, DPPH and oleic acid peroxidation methods. These methods indicated the presence of both the slow reacting and fast reacting components in the seed oils of both the herbs. The seed oil of Abutilon indicum and Abutilon muticum showed broad spectrum activity as they were active against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. The findings reveal seeds of Abutilon species, indigenous to Pakistan to be potentially valuable herb for oil production, delivery of drugs and cosmetic active ingredients.

Keywords: Malvaceae, minerals, oil composition, GC-MS, antioxidant, antibacterial