Evaluation and Comparison of Chemical Compositions and Fatty Acids of Purslane Leaves from Different Regions of Iran

Purslane (Portulaca oleracea) is a warm climate annual plant classified as a weed. Purslane has been described as a power food of the future due to its high nutritive and antioxidant properties. It is listed in the world health organization as one of the most used medicinal plants and it has been given the term “Global panacea”. This study is concerned with the evaluation and comparison of the chemical and fatty acids composition of the Purslane leaves from north (province of Gilan) and south (province of Fars) of Iran. In this research work purslane leaves were prepared for chemical composition tests consisting of ash, protein, fibre, carbohydrate and oil contents. The fatty acid compositions and profiles were determined by conversion of the fatty acids into their methyl esters and their application on to a GC equipped with a capillary column and Flame Ionisation Detector according to the defined methods of standard. The comparison between north and south samples indicated significant differences in the ash, protein, oil, and carbohydrate contents. Evaluation of the fatty acids compositions showed that α-linolenic acid was the predominant fatty acid present in the purslane leaves oil in both samples. It was concluded that purslane leaves oil due to its high nutritive and antioxidant values might be regarded as a valuable oil for specific applications.