Fatty acids composition in Pistachio

Abstract

Pistachio (Pistacia vera L.), is an important food source for human health. It has nutritional content rich in protein, fat, fatty acids, fiber, vitamins and minerals. Such as other nuts, pistachio oil is rich in unsaturated fatty acids. Pistachio is rich in omega fatty acids such as n-3, n-6, n-9, it is known to be beneficial in decreasing cholesterol by increasing HDL level in blood plasma. Oleic acid (C18: 1) and palmitoleic acid are the main component of unsaturated fatty acids in pistachio. It has fatty acids such as linoleic acid and alpha linoleic acid among polyunsaturated fatty acids and myristic acid, palmitic acid, stearic acid among saturated fatty acids. Gas chromatography-flame ionization detector (GC-FID) is generally used for the analysis of fatty acids in foods. The main component of unsaturated fatty acids contained in pistachio is oleic acid (C18: 1) and the variety varies between 51.6% and 81.17% according to the origin. Linoleic acid (C18:2) content, which is a polyunsaturated fatty acid, varies between 15% and 30%. Stearic acid content of saturated fatty acids varies between 0.8% and 3.5%. This review provides information about the properties and curent status of the fatty acids in pistachios.