MUSCADINE GRAPE SEED OILS

Dichloromethane-soluble constituents of seeds from ‘Welder’, ‘Regale’ and ‘Carlos’ muscadine grape cultivars were analyzed with a combined gas chromatograph-mass spectrometer. Five components of the extracts, which constituted 10-13% of the seed weights were separated. Stearic acid, glyceryl monostyrate and a stearic acid derivative were identified as the constituents of four of the separated peaks. Glyceryl monostyrate content of the extracted oils for ‘Carlos’, ‘Regale’ and ‘Welder’ cultivars were 94.1%, 89.4% and 72.7%, respectively, while their stearic acid contents ranged from 5.6% in ‘Carlos’ to 8.9% in ‘Regale’. Qualitative and quantitative differences between muscadine grape seed oils and those of nonmuscadine cultivars are also discussed.