Evaluation of bioactive constituents in European bladdernut (Staphylea pinnata L.) seed kernels

This study aimed to quantify the content of bioactive constituents of European bladdernut (Staphylea pinnata L.) seed kernels, which have been poorly examined chemically, even though they have a long history of use for food. Chlorophylls, carotenoids, tocopherols, ascorbic acid, phenolics, fatty acids, sugars and organic acids were analysed. European bladdernut kernels contain appreciable amounts of bioactive constituents. The high contents of tocopherols, carotenoids and chlorophyll make bladdernut kernels a very promising food source in comparison to other nuts. The phenolic content was lower than in other nut species. The content of total fatty acids was up to 419 g/kg fresh weight, and the ratio n-6/n-3 was 10/1. The major fatty acid was linoleic acid (45% of total fatty acids). No significant difference was found between wild and cultivated (ornamental) plants, except for shikimic acid, which was significantly higher in cultivated bladdernut. The chemical composition of the kernels makes bladdernut one of the most interesting sources of health promoting substances among seeds and nuts. The results of this study show that the utilisation of E. bladdernut seeds for food uses is worth encouraging. However, more research is needed to investigate potential antinutritive substances in bladdernut kernels.