The consumers' opinion concerning conventional palm (Elaeis guineensis) oil is negatively affected by environmental and nutritional issues. However, oils extracted from drupes of interspecific hybrids Elaeis oleifera × E. guineensis are getting more and more interest, due to their chemical and nutritional properties. Unsaturated fatty acids (oleic and linoleic) are the most abundant constituents (60%-80% of total fatty acids) of hybrid palm oil (HPO) and are mainly acylated in position sn-2 of the glycerol backbone. Carotenes and tocotrienols are the most interesting components of the unsaponifiable matter, even if their amount in crude oils varies greatly. The Codex Committee on Fats and Oils recently provided HPO the "dignity" of codified fat substance for human consumption and defined the physical and chemical parameters for genuine crude oils. However, only few researches have been conducted to date on the functional and technological properties of HPO, thus limiting its utilization in food industry. Recent studies on the nutritional effects of HPO softened the initial enthusiasm about the "tropical equivalent of olive oil", suggesting that the overconsumption of HPO in the most-consumed processed foods should be carefully monitored.
Keywords: Elaeis oleifera; fatty acids; interspecific hybrid palm; palm oil; positional analysis; refining; ripening; tocotrienols; triacylglycerols.