Nutritional composition of anthesising male inflorescence of oil palm Elaeis guineensis essential for development of Elaeidobius kamerunicus Faust: first report

Muhamad Haziq Hadif Zulkefli, . and Syari Jamian, . and Siti Izera Ismail, . and Nur Azura Adam, . and Johari Jalinas, . and Mohamed Mazmira Mohd Masri, . (2024) Nutritional composition of anthesising male inflorescence of oil palm Elaeis guineensis essential for development of Elaeidobius kamerunicus Faust: first report. Journal of Oil Palm Research (Malaysia), 36. pp. 254-266. ISSN 2811-4701

Rearing of Elaeidobius kamerunicus, the pollinator of oil palm, requires the anthesising male inflorescence of oil palm as the breeding and feeding ground. Various studies have reported on the weevils utilising the male inflorescence as feed to sustain its development. However, for routine rearing, the use of male inflorescence is inconvenient as it has to be continuously collected from the field. Thus, this pioneering study was conducted to determine the nutritional composition of anthesising male inflorescence of oil palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) which is essential for E. kamerunicus life development. First, proximate analysis was performed to determine the nutritional composition of anthesising male inflorescence. Next, the nutritional profiles of amino acids, fatty acids and carbohydrates were determined and analysed separately. The average proximate analysis of anthesising male inflorescence of oil palm recorded a high moisture content of 75%, followed by carbohydrate, protein, fat and ash. The amino acid profile revealed the presence of 18 amino acids with lysine having the highest content. The spikelet also recorded a total of 32 fatty acids with oleic acid recording the highest value. Nevertheless, the carbohydrate profile was not determined as its presence was in trace amount only. This study provided new knowledge and reference standard on the nutritional composition of anthesising male inflorescence of oil palm that is essential for E. kamerunicus.

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Abstract

Rearing of Elaeidobius kamerunicus, the pollinator of oil palm, requires the anthesising male inflorescence of oil palm as the breeding and feeding ground. Various studies have reported on the weevils utilising the male inflorescence as feed to sustain its development. However, for routine rearing, the use of male inflorescence is inconvenient as it has to be continuously collected from the field. Thus, this pioneering study was conducted to determine the nutritional composition of anthesising male inflorescence of oil palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) which is essential for E. kamerunicus life development. First, proximate analysis was performed to determine the nutritional composition of anthesising male inflorescence. Next, the nutritional profiles of amino acids, fatty acids and carbohydrates were determined and analysed separately. The average proximate analysis of anthesising male inflorescence of oil palm recorded a high moisture content of 75%, followed by carbohydrate, protein, fat and ash. The amino acid profile revealed the presence of 18 amino acids with lysine having the highest content. The spikelet also recorded a total of 32 fatty acids with oleic acid recording the highest value. Nevertheless, the carbohydrate profile was not determined as its presence was in trace amount only. This study provided new knowledge and reference standard on the nutritional composition of anthesising male inflorescence of oil palm that is essential for E. kamerunicus.

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Item Type:	Article
AGROVOC Term:	oil palms
AGROVOC Term:	inflorescences
AGROVOC Term:	proximate analysis
AGROVOC Term:	Elaeidobius kamerunicus
AGROVOC Term:	moisture content
AGROVOC Term:	proteins
AGROVOC Term:	carbohydrates
AGROVOC Term:	fats
AGROVOC Term:	lysine
AGROVOC Term:	oleic acid
Geographical Term:	Malaysia
Depositing User:	Nor Hasnita Abdul Samat
Date Deposited:	06 Apr 2026 07:34
Last Modified:	06 Apr 2026 07:34
URI:	http://webagris.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/2707

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