WILD PALMS IN MADAGASCAR - STUDY OF THE T RITERPENE ALCOHOL COMPOSITION OF OILS EXTRACTED FROM FRUITS

Oils extracted from different parts of fruits from a few species of wi ld palms in Madagascar were studied for their triterpene alcohol compo sition. The same chromatographic methods as those used in the previous study on the sterol fraction were applied to identify triterpene alco hols. The results revealed that: cycloartenol and 24-methylenecycloart anol were the main constituents of the triterpene alcohol fraction, ce rtain species stand out from others through their high content of a cl early determined triterpene alcohol: Chrysalidocarpus madagascariensis , variety lucubensis (90% cycloartenol in the kernel), Oregia, O. oler acea and M. nobilis contain 54.5, 55.2 and 75.2% 24-methylenecycloarte nol respectively in their kernel. Generally speaking, the triterpene a lcohols found in Madagascan palms are very common: dammaradienol (0.0 - 37.2%), parkeol (0.0 - 5.4%), cycloartenol (3.3 - 90.5%), 7,24-tirru calladienol (0.0 - 28.4%), 24-methylenecycloartanol (2.9 - 75.2%), 24- methylcycloartenol (0.0 - 43.7%), butryospermol (0.0 - 42%), cycloarta nol (0.0 - 16.7%), taraxerol (0.0 - 8.4%).