Seed oil content and fatty acid profiles of endemic Phoenix theophrasti Greuter, Phoenix roebelenii O'Brien, Phoenix caneriensis Hort. Ex Chabaud, and Phoenix dactylifera L. grown in the same locality in Turkey

Abstract

Plants-based oils and fats usually obtained from seeds have been indispensable substances for mankind, both in nutritional and industrial respect. This study aimed to determine the total amount of oil and the fatty acid compositions of Phoenix theophrasti Greuter, P. roebelenii O'Brien, P. caneriensis Hort. Ex Chabaud, and P. dactylifera L. The seeds of these four Phoenix species were collected from the same location, east Mediterranean agroecological conditions when the fruits were fully ripened, which means the environmental factors that may affect the oil content and the fatty acid compositions were controlled. The highest oil content of the samples was obtained from P. caneriensis (8.435 g/100 g) and followed by P. dactylifera (6.400 g/100 g), P. roebelenii (5.130 g/100 g), and P. theophrasti (4.730 g/100 g), respectively. The dominant fatty acids detected in the seed oils were oleic acid (C18:1n9c, 35.080-46.625%), lauric acid (C12:0, 26.160-18.055%), myristic acid (C14:0, 12.670-10.335%), linoleic acid (Cl8:2n6c, 13.295-7.990%), and palmitic acid (C16:0, 11.355-7.590%) for all four species. To the best of the knowledge, this study is the first to reveal the total oil amount of the seeds of P. theophrasti and P. roebelenii, and also the fatty acid composition of P. roebelenii.