Phenolic compounds in seed oils

Traditionally, phenolic compounds are known to be abundant in fruits, vegetables and cereals. Recently, however, their presence in seed oils has been discovered and this offers interesting nutritional and economical possibilities. The nutritional benefit arises from the high levels of polar antioxidants in crude seed oils, as it is known that these are antioxidants offering health benefits. Economical benefit results when seeds traditionally considered as a waste stream become the source of high value vegetable oils. The main identified phenolic compounds in those oils are discussed, as well as the varying levels of total phenolic compounds as determined by the Total Phenol Content (TPC) assay and by HPLC methods. While not all compounds are yet identified, and further study is needed on this subject, it is clear that the phenolic compounds in seed oils contribute to their oxidative stability and to their nutritional importance. The available data show that phenolic compounds are not only abundant in fruits, cereals and vegetables, but seed oils are also good sources of a variety of these antioxidants, in particular phenolic acids. This gives possibilities for the use of otherwise waste streams, such as fruit seeds, as sources of high value oils, with interesting nutritional properties, including essential fatty acids and antioxidants.