Abstract
The pericarp of African pear (Dacryodes edulis) is butyraceous. This study evaluated the fatty acid contents of three varieties of African pear (Akpabuyo pear, Ikom butter pear and Ikom pear).Ripe fruits of the three varieties of pear were purchased from Marian markets Calabar Cross River State, Nigeria. Each sample was divided into three batches. The first batch was left raw, the second was pan roasted till the pulp became soft, and the third batch was immersed into boiled water for 3 minutes. Each batch was prepared by deseeding the soft pulp. They were separately homogenized and stored in an airtight container and refrigerated for fatty acid (FA) analysis. The fatty acid contents of the samples were determined by Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) methods. Data obtained were analyzed using the mean and standard deviation. Arachidonic acid in raw Akpabuyo pear was the predominant (1.55 g/100g) UFA.Saturated Fatty Acids (SFA) were found to be present in a higher percentage compared to the unsaturated fatty acids (UFA) in all the samples. Roasted Akpabuyo pear had the highest concentration of SFA (Lauric 28.45 g/100g),Blanched pear samples had lower FA. The consumption of raw and blanched Akpabuyo pear was recommended because of the type and concentration of the FA.