Oil Content, Fatty Acid Composition, Physicochemical Properties, and Antioxidant Activity of Seed Oils of Ten Moroccan Pomegranate Cultivars

Abstract

Pomegranate seeds (Punica granatum L.) are quantitatively and qualitatively a relevant agri-food by-product which is rich in molecules beneficial to human health. In order to valorize this resource, this study aims to evaluate and to compare, for the first time, the characteristics of fruit seeds and seed oils of ten pomegranate cultivars grown in the Center of Morocco. Physical and biometric parameters of seeds, fatty acid composition, physicochemical criteria, and antioxidant activity of seed oils were determined. The results showed significant differences between the ten studied cultivars. The seeds yielded oil contents ranging from 17.59% to 24.69% and presented high contents of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) exceeding 89%. The major fatty acid was punicic acid, which represented more than 80% of fatty acids, while other fatty acids such as linoleic acid, oleic acid, and palmitic acid could be considered a minority. Oils showed yellow colour due to the contents of chlorophyll (0.12–1.87 mg/kg) and pheophytin (0.39–3.87 mg/kg) and presented high antioxidant activity (IC50: 0.69–1.80 mg/mL). Therefore, the studied pomegranate seeds had a very good oil yield, and these oils have presented an optimal fatty acid composition and high levels of antioxidant activity. Thus, they could be useful in the formulation of novel foods or used as preservatives and functional components in food industry.