Harnessing the Benefits of Seed Oils: A Comprehensive Study on Their Role in Functional Foods

There has been a growing interest in functional foods in recent years to improve health and boost immunity, particularly since the COVID-19 pandemic, which reflects their significant role in promoting health and preventing various diseases, especially metabolic disorders. This study investigated the antimicrobial, antioxidant, anticoagulant, and prebiotic activities of six different oils: Calotropis procera oil (CPO), Chia seed oil (CSO), Moringa oil (MO), Neem oil (NO), Black seed oil (BSO), and Wheat germ oil (WGO) and their potential applications in health and nutrition. The DPPH and ABTS assays were used to evaluate the antioxidant activity of these oils. A good diffusion assay and minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) method were used to investigate the antimicrobial activity against pathogenic bacteria and fungi of human interest. Also, the prebiotic activities of oils were tested on three probiotic strains of Lactobacillus to evaluate their role in promoting the growth of beneficial bacteria against the pathogenic E. coli. Furthermore, the haematological effect of these oils was investigated in vitro through measuring their anticoagulant, and Fibrinolytic activity. The results demonstrated that all tested oils exhibited varying levels of antimicrobial activity, with Calotropis procera oil showing the highest efficacy against bacterial strains, followed closely by Chia seed oil. Notably, Chia seed oil also exhibited the strongest anticoagulant activity among the oils tested, while Moringa oil displayed significant antimicrobial effects but the weakest anticoagulant properties. The antioxidant activity was highest in both Calotropis procera and Wheat germ oils, while Black seed oil showed the least antioxidant effectiveness. In terms of prebiotic activity, most oils exhibited weak effects on probiotic strains; however, the mixture of oils demonstrated enhanced antimicrobial, antioxidant, and prebiotic activities compared to individual oils. Overall, this study highlights the diverse health benefits of these oils and their potential as functional food ingredients that could contribute to improved health.