Abstract:
Previous reports state that the flour of palmyrah (Borassus flabellfer L),
called odiyal, on heating at 80·C for 45 minutes caused removal of
hepatotoxic and neurotoxic factors effectively, and that odiyal flour
originated from Kalpitiya was more toxic to Wistar rats than odiyal flour
from Jaffna. These studies show that the heating can cause loss of volatiles
but there is apparently no toxic factor in the volatiles. GC-MS analysis shows
that the decanoic acid (capric acid), undecanoic acid (hendecanoic acid), 2-
butenedioic acid and their esters as main volatile compounds. No amines
were present.
Heating of Kalpitiya odiyal flour shows a decline in ninhydrin positives
prominently those from the MPLC fractions from ethyl acetate to methanol.
Kalpitiya odiyal flour unheat-treated had higher total amine concentration
than that of Jaffna odiyal. Circumstancial evidence shows that the increased
toxicity of Kalpitiya odiyal flour compared to Jaffna odiyal flour may be
due to the kottakilangu (dried shoot of palmyra h) milling temperature (58-
60°C) for Kalpitiya flour and >80°C for Jaffna flour.
