Sacha inchi (Plukenetia volubilis): A seed source of polyunsaturated fatty acids,tocopherols, phytosterols,phenolic compounds and antioxidant capacity

Fatty acids (FA), phytosterols, tocopherols, phenolic compounds, total carotenoids and hydrophilic and lipophilic ORAC antioxidant capacities were evaluated in 16 cultivars of Sacha inchi (SI) seeds with the aim to valorise them and offer more information on the functional properties of SI seeds. A high α linolenic (α-Ln) fatty acid content was found in all cultivars (ω3, 12.8–16.0 g/100 g seed), followed by linoleic (L) fatty acid (ω6, 12.4–14.1 g/100 g seed). The ratio ω6/ω3 was within the 0.83–1.09 range. γ- and δ-tocopherols were the most important tocopherols, whereas the most representative phytosterols were β-sitosterol and stigmasterol. Contents of total phenolics, total carotenoids and hydrophilic and lipophilic antioxidant capacities ranged from 64.6 to 80 mg of gallic acid equivalent/100 g seed; from 0.07 to 0.09 mg of β-carotene equivalent/100 g of seed; from 4.3 to 7.3 and, from 1.0 to 2.8 μmol of Trolox equivalent/g of seed, respectively, among the evaluated SI cultivars. Results showed significant differences (p < 0.05) among the evaluated SI cultivars in the contents of ω3, ω6, antioxidant capacities and other evaluated phytochemicals. SI seeds should be considered as an important dietary source of health promoting phytochemicals.     

Identification of bioactive compounds and total phenol contents of cold pressed oils from safflower and camelina seeds

The compositions of fatty acids, tocopherols, polyphenols, sterols, and the total phenol contents of cold pressed oils obtained from five varieties of safflower seeds and ten varieties of camelina seeds cultivated in Turkey were determined. Total phenol contents of safflower oils were higher (272.20–525.30 mg GAE/kg) than camelina seed oils (25.90–63.70 mg GAE/kg). Apigenin, luteolin, tyrosol, syringic acid, 3-hydroxytyrosol, p-coumaric acid and sinapic acid were detected in seed oils. Camelina seed oils were rich in tocopherol (144.11–168.69 mg/100 g). γ-Tocopherol was the predominant tocopherol in camelina seed oils consisting of averagely 80% of total tocopherol, while α-tocopherol was the main compound of safflower seed oils, representing 97.85–98.53% of total tocopherols. β-Sitosterol was the major sterol in both type of seed oils. Its concentration ranged between 92.51–121.83 mg/100 g and 80.52–25.54 mg/100 g in safflower seed and camelina oils, respectively. Camelina seed oils contained 22.31–26.57% linolenic acid, 21.25–24.05% linoleic acid and 19.46–21.47% oleic acid, whereas safflower seed oils mainly consisted of linoleic (28.03–76.85%) and oleic (13.01–62.61%) acids.     

Berry seed press residues and their valuable ingredients with special regard to black currant seed press residues

Berry seeds are distinguished by longevity though clear scientific appraisals cannot be made. Besides a hard seed coat other protecting substances are presumed in the seeds. Commonly the seeds are utilized as a source of oils. After pressing, there is a residue left that is still rich in bioactive ingredients. This paper gives an overview of the health-beneficial ingredients remaining in the residue of various berry seeds (bilberry, cranberry, rose hip, strawberry, elder, and black currant) with special focus on black currant. The fatty acid distribution and the content of fat, tocopherols and tocotrienols, phytosterols, carotenoids, vitamin C, fibre, protein, amino acids, dry matter, ashes, minerals, total phenols (gallic acid equivalent) and antioxidant capacity (TEAC) were determined. The investigation of berry seed press residues revealed that the total phenols and tocopherols were quantitatively the most important features of this material but there were significant differences between batches and cultures.     

Fatty acids,tocopherols, phenolic and antioxidant properties of six citrus fruit species: a comparative study

Citrus fruit is a rich source of bioactive phytochemicals. Information on the fatty acid and tocopherol composition of locally grown citrus fruits in Korea is elusive. This work was aimed to study fatty acid, tocopherols, ascorbic acid, antioxidant potential, and selected phenolics from peel and pulp of six citrus species. The most dominant fatty acid was linoleic acid (15–45%), followed by linolenic, palmitic, and oleic acid. Stearic acid was highly abundant in yuzu peel (14.45%) and pulp (15.88%) compared to the other fruits. Unsaturated fatty acids (54–74%) contributed higher composition than saturated fatty acids (25–46%). Peel exhibited better antioxidant potential and contained higher phytochemicals than pulp. The concentrations of α-tocopherol and γ-tocopherol were ranged from 22.96 (yuzu) to 86.93 (cheonhyeyang) and 38.59 (yuzu) ~83.03 (tangerine) μg/g DW, respectively. J-Redhyeyang peel exhibited highest total flavonoids (4.17?±?0.10 mgQE/g DW) and DPPH radical scavenging activity (6.17?±?0.03 mgTE/g DW). FRAP values were highest (20.05?±?0.64 mgTE/g DW) in yuzu peel, while peel of cheonhyeyang was superior in total phenolic contents. Tangerine (3.02?±?0.05 mg/g DW) and yuzu (7.49?±?0.38 mg/g DW) had higher hesperidin concentrations in pulp and peel, respectively. Naringin was found in an appreciable amount in yuzu pulp (2.04?±?0.09 mg/g DW) and peel (6.30?±?0.19 mg/g DW) but not detected in all other fruit species. Our results indicate that citrus fruit peel is the rich source of antioxidant compounds, which can be used to prepare antioxidant rich food product.     

8个品种辣椒籽成分分析与比较

对8个不同品种(定州新一代辣椒、朝天椒、益都椒、四平头辣椒、红安6号线椒、红龙13号金塔椒、新疆甜椒、印度TEJA辣椒)辣椒籽的主要成分、营养成分和抗氧化物质进行分析,为辣椒籽高值化的综合利用提供基础数据。结果表明,辣椒籽主要含有膳食纤维、蛋白质和脂肪,质量分数分别为40.10%~51.27%、17.30%~19.83%和11.53%~16.70%;辣椒籽中还含有16种氨基酸(15.16%~18.64%)、9种矿物质元素,其中钾含量达到7 790~11 566.67 mg/kg;不饱和脂肪酸占辣椒籽脂肪酸80%以上,其中亚油酸质量分数为7.04%~9.72%,占总脂肪酸72.20%~74.26%;VE、VC、酚类、黄酮等抗氧化物质含量分别为1.27~8.01、0.24~2.36 mg/100 g、11.43~20.22 mg GAE/g、2.36~12.58 mg RE/g,辣椒碱类物质含量为0.07~5.21 mg/100 g。其中,新疆甜椒籽膳食纤维和VE含量最高,益都辣椒籽蛋白质、油脂和黄酮含量最高,印度TEJA辣椒籽具有较高的总酚和辣椒碱类物质。     

Comparison of fatty acid profiles and contents of seed oils recovered from dessert and cider apples and further Rosaceous plants

To get a more comprehensive knowledge of oil contents and fatty acid pattern, seed oils from various Rosaceous plants belonging to the subfamilies Maloideae and Rosoideae, respectively, were investigated. For this purpose, isolated seeds of 18 dessert and cider apple (Malus domestica BORKH.) cultivars of different provenances, pear (Pyrus communis L.), rose hip (Rosa canina L.), quince (Cydonia oblonga Mill.), and red chokeberry (Aronia arbutifolia L.) were analyzed for their oil content and fatty acid composition. Oil contents varied significantly, not only among the different genera, but also among cultivars of one species, ranging from 0.8 to 29.4?g/100?g?dry matter. Qualitatively, the fatty acid profiles of the investigated seed oils showed good agreement in all representatives of the Rosaceae. Their triacylglycerols were uniformly composed of linoleic, oleic, palmitic, stearic, palmitoleic, α-linolenic, arachidic, gondoic, and behenic acids. Quantitation of individual fatty acids revealed the oils to be rich in mono- and diunsaturated oleic acid and linoleic acid, ranging from 15.1 to 33.3?g/100?g and from 32.5 to 49.7?g/100?g, respectively. As expected, contents of saturated fatty acids were 6–10?times lower. Moreover, apple cultivars showed pronounced differences in yields, numbers, and weights of their seeds. As demonstrated by the data obtained from this study, seeds resulting from the processing of apple, pear, quince, chokeberry (Maloideae), and rose hip (Rosoideae) into juices, jellies, and jams may serve as a promising source for the recovery of nutritionally valuable edible oils.     

Total Phenolic Contents and Phenolic Acid Constituents in 4 Varieties of Bitter Melons (Momordica charantia) and Antioxidant Activities of their Extracts

ABSTRACT: Four varieties of bitter melon ( Momordica charantia ), India green (IG), India white (IW), China green (CG), and China white (CW) were analyzed for total phenolics, phenolic acid constituents, and antioxidant activities of their methanolic extracts. Phenolic contents of the oven-dried and freeze-dried tissues ranged from 5.39 to 8.94 and 4.64 to 8.90 mg chlorogenic acid equivalent (CAE)/g on dry weight basis, respectively. Phenolic contents of bitter melon seed, inner tissues, and flesh ranged from 4.67 to 8.02, 4.64 to 8.94, and 5.36 to 8.90 mg CAE/g, respectively. The total phenolic contents of IG, IW, CG, and CW were 4.64 to 6.84, 6.03 to 8.94, 5.39 to 7.81, and 6.07 to 8.90 mg CAE/g, respectively. The main phenolic acids in flesh were gallic acid, gentisic acid, catechin, chlorogenic acid, and epicatechin, which ranged from 8.04 to 39.76, 16.99 to 32.39, 23.06 to 82.45, 4.55 to 15.83, and 16.14 to 44.28 mg/100 g on dry weight basis, respectively, while in inner tissues were gallic acid, gentisic acid, catechin, and epicatechin, which ranged from 2.57 to 18.05, 5.39 to 32.61, 13.54 to 39.74, and 2.96 to 40.91 mg/100 g, respectively. The main phenolic acids contained in seeds were gallic acid, catechin, and epicatechin, which ranged from 4.61 to 18.9, 13.2 to 57.61, and 6.00 to 40.08 mg/100 g, respectively. There was no significant difference in the antioxidant activities of the extracts among varieties ( P = 0.2556) and between drying methods ( P = 0.1444). The antioxidant activities of flesh, inner tissue, and seed ranged from 81.7% to 86.5%, 78.8% to 88.4%, and 78.5% to 85.4% inhibition, respectively. Bitter melon is a rich source of phenolic compounds. These natural plant phenolics can be a good source of antioxidants for application in food system.     

Chemical characterization of Chinese chive seed (Allium tuberosum Rottl.)

Chinese chive seeds (Allium tuberosum Rottl.) (grown in China) were investigated. Density, thousand-grain weight, and hectolitre weight of seeds were 1.27 g/cm³, 4.9 g, and 71 kg/100 l, respectively. The results showed that Chinese chive seeds contained high amounts of oil (15.8%), dietary fibre (18.2%) and crude protein (12.3%). Oil of seeds was composed of 10.1% saturated and 90.0% unsaturated fatty acids. Linoleic(69.1%) and palmitic (7.0%) were the most abundant unsaturated and saturated fatty acids, respectively. Chinese chive seeds contained 4.5 mg/kg of thiamin, 2.8 mg/kg of riboflavin and 55.1 mg/kg of niacin. The mineral contents of the seed of A. tuberosum, for iron, calcium and zinc, were 580 mg/kg, 1328 and 80.8 mg/kg, respectively. Analysis of the amino acid content of Chinese chive seed revealed that it was a rich source of the essential amino acids, isoleucine, tryptophan and lysine. The study revealed that Chinese chive seeds had high levels of nutritionally important components, such as oil, minerals and essential amino acids.     

The fatty acid and tocopherol constituents of the seed oil extracted from 21 grape varieties (Vitis spp.)

BACKGROUND: Fatty acids and tocopherols in appropriate quantities are invaluable attributes that are desirable in seeds of agricultural products. Studies have generally focused on the evaluation of the oil and tocopherol components of oil crops. Recently, investigations revealed that the grape seed has robust potential in the production of healthy fatty acids as well as tocopherols. This study was thus conducted to determine the oil and tocopherol components of grape seeds, obtained from various grape cultivars of different species, including two rootstock varieties. RESULTS: The grape seed oil concentration of the studied varieties ranged from 7.3 to 22.4%. The determined fatty acid profiles of the genotypes conformed to the pattern described in the literature for grapes. Linoleic acid is the major component comprising 53.6–69.6% of the total, followed by oleic (16.2–31.2%), palmitic (6.9–12.9%) and stearic (1.44–4.69%). The oils of all the seeds analysed showed a preponderance of α‐tocopherol (ranging from 260.5 to 153.1 mg kg^?1 oil extract). β‐Tocopherol, γ‐tocopherol and δ‐tocopherol were also detected with the general means of 0.98, 22.2 and 0.92 mg kg^?1, respectively. Linoleic acid showed a significantly negative correlation with all the fatty acids analysed. The strongest negative correlation existed between linoleic and oleic acids (r = ? 0.834, P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: Present investigations indicated that oil content, fatty acid composition and tocopherol constituents of grape seed show great variation among the genotypes. Markedly higher proportions of linoleic acid with considerable amounts of tocopherols found in the oil samples suggest that grape seed is a good source for culinary, pharmaceutical and cosmetic uses. Copyright © 2012 Society of Chemical Industry     

Nutritional composition of Zizyphus lotus L. seeds

BACKGROUND: Zizyphus lotus seeds are an unutilized source of vegetable oil and protein and nothing has been reported on their physicochemical characteristics which would indicate the potential uses of these seeds. RESULTS: The percentage composition of the Zizyphus lotus seeds is (on a dry‐weight basis): ash 1.05%, oil 32.92%, protein 19.11%, total carbohydrate 40.87% and moisture 6.05%. Calcium, potassium and magnesium constitute the major minerals of Zizyphus lotus seeds. The seed proteins are rich in threonine, glutamic acid, leucine, arginine and aspartic acid (26.73%, 17.28%, 13.11%, 9.47% and 7.76%, respectively). The main fatty acids of the oil are oleic (61.93%), linoleic (18.31%) and palmitic (9.14%) acids. Glycerol trioleate (OOO; O: oleic acid) was the most abundant triacylglycerol, representing 26.48% of the total triacyglycerols. β‐Tocopherol was the major tocopherol (130.47 mg 100 g^?1). This oil was rich in Δ7‐campestrol and β‐sitosterol (147.82 and 82.10 mg 100 g^?1 oil), respectively. CONCLUSION: Zizyphus lotus seeds are rich in fat and protein which are of potential industrial significance. In addition, Zizyphus lotus L. seed oil contained many bioactive compounds. This fact is of great economic interest owing to several applications of Zizyphus lotus L. seeds in the food, cosmetics and medicinal industries. Copyright © 2011 Society of Chemical Industry     

Biochemical and nutritional evaluation of Neonotonia wightii (Wight & Arn.) Lackey (Fabaceae)

Seeds of Neonotonia wightii (Wight & Arn.) Lackey (Fabaceae), used as food by Malayali tribals in the Kollihills of Namakkal District, Tamil Nadu in Peninsular India, locally known as Adutheenikai, were analyzed for proximate composition, total (true) seed proteins, amino acid composition, fatty acid composition, minerals and antinutritional factors. The information is reported here for the first time in science. Crude protein, crude fat, ash and nitrogen free extractives constitute 20.6, 12.8, 5.8%, and 52.1g/100g seed flour, respectively. The calorific value of 100-g dry matter of seed material is 1700 kJ. The essential amino acids, leucine, lysine, isoleucine, valine, therionine and histidine are present in higher concentrations as 79, 54, 44, 37, 34 and 32 mg/100g crude protein, respectively. The limiting essential amino acids were cystine, methionine and tryptophan. The unsaturated fatty acids constitute more than 60% of seed lipids. The seeds were found to be a potential source of minerals such as potassium, magnesium, manganese and copper. The concentration of these minerals was relatively more than that of NRC/NAC recommended dietary allowances. The anti-nutritional factors such as total free phenols, tannins, l-DOPA, hydrogen cyanide and phytic acid contents were also determined.     

Chemical Composition and Nutritional Quality of Date Seeds

ABSTRACT The seeds of Ruzeiz and Sifri date cultivars, on the average, contained 6.5% protein, 10.4% fat, 22.0% fiber, 1.1% ash, and 60.0% carbohydrates on a dry weight basis. Mineral analysis showed higher concentration of K followed by P, Mg, Ca and Na. Among the microelements, Fe was in higher concentration (7.4 mg/100g dry weight) followed by Mn, Zn and Cu. Oleic (44.25%), lauric (17.35%), myristic (11.45%), palmitic (10.30%) and linoleic (8.45%) were the major fatty acids in date seed oil. Tryptophan (chemical score = 77) was the first limiting amino acid in date seed proteins (FAO/WHO, 1973). The average in vitro protein digestibility and calculated protein efficiency ratio values were 63.5% and 1.65, respectively, compared to 90% and 2.50 for ANRC-Casein.     

Antioxidant capacities of phenolic compounds and tocopherols from Tunisian pomegranate (Punica granatum) fruits

This article aims to determine the phenolic, tocopherol contents, and antioxidant capacities from fruits (juices, peels, and seed oils) of 6 Tunisian pomegranate ecotypes. Total anthocyanins were determined by a differential pH method. Hydrolyzable tannins were determined with potassium iodate. The tocopherol (α-tocopherol, γ-tocopherol, and δ-tocopherol) contents were, respectively, 165.77, 107.38, and 27.29 mg/100 g from dry seed. Four phenolic compounds were identified and quantified in pomegranate peel and pulp using the high-performance liquid chromatography/ultraviolet method: 2 hydroxybenzoic acids (gallic and ellagic acids) and 2 hydroxycinnamic acids (caffeic and p-coumaric acids). Juice, peel, and seed oil antioxidants were confirmed by ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) and oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) methods. The highest values were recorded in peels with 25.63 mmol trolox equivalent/100 g and 22.08 mmol TE/100 g for FRAP and ORAC assay, respectively. Results showed that the antioxidant potency of pomegranate extracts was correlated with their phenolic compound content. In particular, the highest correlation was reported in peels. High correlations were also found between peel hydroxybenzoic acids and FRAP ORAC antioxidant capacities. Identified tocopherols seem to contribute in major part to the antioxidant activity of seed oil. The results implied that bioactive compounds from the peel might be potential resources for the development of antioxidant function dietary food.     

Composition and antioxidative activities of supercritical CO2-extracted oils from seeds and soft parts of northern berries

The present study investigated the composition and the antioxidative activities of oils from the seeds and the soft parts of a range of northern berries extracted by supercritical CO₂. The seed oils of the species of Rubus, Vaccinium, Empetrum, Fragaria and Hippophaë were rich in linoleic (18:2n-6, 34-55% of total fatty acids) and ??-linolenic (18:3n-3, 29-45% of total) acids with n-6:n-3 ratios of 1:1-1:2. The seed oils of the species Ribes contained, in addition to linoleic and ??-linolenic acids, ??-linolenic (18:3n-6) and stearidonic (18:3n-4) acids. In seed oils from European rowanberry (Sorbus aucuparia L.) and snowball berry (Viburnum opulus L.), linoleic and oleic (18:1n-9) acids together exceeded 90% of the total fatty acids. The sea buckthorn (SB) pulp oil had palmitoleic (16:1n-7), palmitic (16:0) and oleic acids as the major fatty acids. The SB pulp oil and snowball berry seed oil were rich in ??-tocopherol (120 and 110 mg/100 g oil, respectively), whereas raspberry seed oil contained a high level of ??-tocopherol (320 mg/100 g oil). Seed oils of cranberry (180 mg/100 g oil), Arctic cranberry (190 mg/100 g oil) and lingonberry (120 mg/100 g oil) are rich sources of ??-tocotrienol. The berry seed oils and the SB pulp oil showed varying peroxyl radical scavenging efficacies (300-2300 ??mol ??-tocopherol equivalent per 100 g oil) and inhibitory effects on perioxidation of microsomal lipids (250-1200 ??mol trolox equivalent per 100 g oil) in vitro. The peroxyl radical scavenging activity positively correlated with the total content of tocopherols and tocotrienols of the oils (r = 0.875, P = 0.001). The SB seed oil and pulp oil were active in scavenging superoxide anions produced by xanthine-xanthine oxidase system and inhibited Cu²⁺-induced LDL oxidation in vitro. The SB oils also protected purified DNA and rat liver homogenate from UV-induced DNA oxidation in vitro. The current research suggests potential of supercritical CO₂-extracted oils from northern berries as nutraceuticals and ingredients of functional foods.     

Physicochemical properties and bioactive compounds of selected seed oils

The physicochemical properties and chemical composition of oil extracted from five varieties of plant seeds (bittermelon, Kalahari melon, kenaf, pumpkin and roselle seeds) were examined by established methods. The thermal properties of extracted oils by differential scanning calorimetry were also evaluated. Sensorial profiles of these seed oils were defined through the CieLab (L*, a*, b*) colour. Most of the quality indices and fatty acid compositions showed significant (P < 0.05) variations among the extracted oils. Physicochemical properties of the oils extracted were iodine value, 86.0-125.0 g I₂/100 g oil; saponification value, 171.0-190.7 mg of KOH/g of oil; acid value, 1.1-12.9 mg of KOH/g of oil, free fatty acid, 0.6-6.5 g/100 g of oil, and peroxide value 1.5-6.5 meq of O₂/kg of oil. Palmitic, oleic and linoleic acids were the major fatty acids in all of the extracted seed oils except for bittermelon, where eleostearic acid was the major fatty acid. Gallic, protocatechuic, p-hydroxybenzoic, vanillic, caffeic, syringic, p-coumaric and ferulic acids were identified in the extracted plant oils. Among these, vanillic acid was predominant in all extracted oils. The oils were rich in tocopherols with γ-tocopherol as the major components in all oil samples. Among the phytosterols, sitosterol was the major phytosterol extracted from the five plant seed oils. The seeds of these plants contain a great number of valuable minor compounds, which have a potential high value as food and for production of non-food products.     

Impact of germination on phenolic content and antioxidant activity of 13 edible seed species

The aim of this work was to test 13 edible seeds for the levels of phenolic compounds and the antioxidant activity (TAC) at different germination states (dormant, imbibed and 7d sprouts). Selected seeds included mungbean, alfalfa, fava, fenugreek, mustard, wheat, broccoli, sunflower, soybean, radish, kale, lentil and onion. Accumulated phenolics (mg chlorogenic acid equivalent, CAE) and TAC (μg Trolox equivalent) on dry basis (DB) showed the general trend distribution of 7d sprouts > dormant seeds > imbibed seeds. In addition, the specific TAC (μg Trolox mg⁻¹ CAE) increased only for imbibed seeds indicating a possible protection effect of the phenolic antioxidants to the emerging sprouts. Phenolic contents of 7d sprouts (DB) ranged from 490 (lentil) to 5676 (mustard) mg CAE 100 g⁻¹. Seven day sunflower sprouts had higher TAC on a DB (40202 μg Trolox g⁻¹) compared to other seeds (1456–25991) and a blueberry reference (35232). Increases in phenolics (DB) from dormant seed to 7d sprout differ among seeds, ranging from 2010% (mungbean) to −11% (kale), while increases in TAC (DB) ranged from 1928% (mungbean) to 0% (lentil). This study shows that germinated edible seeds are an excellent source of dietary phenolic antioxidants.     

Composition and Food Potential of African Oil Bean (Pentaclethra macrophylla) and Velvet Bean (Mucuna uriens)

Fatty acids, protein and amino acids of African oil bean seed (Pentaclethra macrophylla) and velvet beans (Mucuna uriens) were studied. Crude protein of the defatted seeds were 341g and 196g per kilogram dry matter and the ether extract was 46 and 8%, respectively, for oil bean seed and mucuna. Essential amino acids composition compared fairly with that of isolated soybean protein. Lysine was high at 66.5 and 66.4g/kg crude protein (nitrogen × 6.25) for oil bean seed and mucuna, respectively. Methionine was low but cystine was high. The fat had a high content of saturated fatty acids. It is suggested that the seeds may be a potential source of protein and oil.     

Chemical composition of juice and seeds of pomegranate fruit

The edible parts of pomegranate fruit represented 52% of total fruit weight, comprising 78% juice and 22% seeds. The fresh juice contained 85.4% moisture, 10.6% total sugars, 1.4% pectin, 0.1 g/100 ml total acidity (as citric acid), 0.7 mg/100 ml ascorbic acid, 19.6 mg/100 ml free amino nitrogen and 0.05 g/100 ml ash. Meanwhile, the seeds are a rich source of total lipids, protein, crude fibers and ash representing 27.2, 13.2, 35.3 and 2.0%, respectively, and also contained 6.0% pectin and 4.7% total sugars. The iron, cupper, sodium, magnesium and zinc contents of the juice were lower than those of seeds, except potassium which was 49.2 ppm in the juice. On the other hand, the physical and chemical properties of seed's lipids indicated that the refractive index was 1.518, melting point 13.0°C, iodine value 74.2, acid number 1.1, unsaponifiable matters 0.7%, saponification value 188.9, ester value 187.8 and glycerol content 10.3%. Moreover, the studied lipids contained 11 fatty acids, from them caprylic, the predominant acid, represented 36.3%, followed by stearic acid (22.5%). Furthermore, oleic and linoleic acids covered 5.1% and 10.3%, respectively. Otherwise, the saturated fatty acids of seed's lipids of pomegranate composed 83.6% of the total fatty acids content.     

Liaison of phenolic acids and biological activity of escalating cultivars of Daucus carota

The objective of the present study was to analyze and compare the phenolic compounds and their antioxidant capacities of new lines of Dacus carota. The selected cultivars showed high variation in the contents of total phenolics (30.26–65.39 mg/100 g FW) and total ascorbic acid (41.12–58.36 mg/100 g FW). Analysis on RP-HPLC revealed that hydroxycinnamic acids and its derivatives were major phenolic compounds present in D. carota extracts, whereas 5-caffeolquinic acid was a major hydroxycinnamic acid (ranged from 30.26 to 65.39 mg/100 g FW). DCP cultivar showed high total antioxidant capacity (77.69 mg/100 g), 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) scavenging capacity (52.36 mg/100 g), superoxide radical scavenging capacity (53.69 mg/100 g), and hydroxyl radical scavenging capacity (51.91 mg/100 g). A linear relationship was found between total phenolic acid contents and antioxidant capacity. Both phenolic compounds and antioxidant capacities varied significantly (ρ < 0.05) among cultivars. DCP cultivar was found to be a rich source of phenolics and ascorbic acid with high antioxidant activity.     

Chemical composition of papaya (Carica papaya) seeds

Defatted and undefatted seeds of papaya (Carica papaya) were analyzed for proximate composition, some toxicants, sugar composition, mineral content, physico-chemical properties of the seed oil and the fatty acid spectrum of the seed oil. The seed is a rich source of proteins (27·8% undefatted, 44·4% defatted), lipids (28·3% undefatted) and crude fibre (22·6% undefatted, 31·8% defatted). Of the toxicants estimated, glucosinolates occur in the highest proportion. The seed is low in free monosaccharides. Sucrose is the predominant sugar (75·0% of total sugars). Mineral content is generally low. However, Ca and P occur in appreciable quantities (17 340 μg/g and 10 250 μ/g, respectively). The seed oil is low in iodine value (74·8), free fatty acids (0·94%) and carotene (0·02 μg/g). The major fatty acid is C18:1 (79·1%).