Carotenoids, fat soluble vitamins and fatty acid profiles of 18 varieties of date seed oil

The seed oil of 18 leading varieties of date fruits cultivated in the UAE (Khalas, Barhe, Lulu, Shikat alkahlas, Sokkery, Bomaan, Sagay, Shishi, Maghool, Sultana, Fard, Maktoomi, Naptit Saif, Jabri, Khodary, Dabbas, Raziz and Shabebe) were analyzed and compared for fat soluble vitamins, carotenoids and fatty acid profiles. Results showed significant variations among the different varieties for their fatty acid, carotenoid, vitamin E, and vitamin K content. Results also revealed that the major fatty acid in date seed oil is oleic acid (49.50%), followed by myristic acid (14.52%) and linoleic acid (10.23%). Pentadecanoic, palmitic, heptadecanoic, stearic, arachidic, behenic, palmitoleic, cis10-heptadecenoic, cis11-eicosenic, linolenic, cis11,14-eicosadienoic, cis-11,14,17-eicosatrienoic were also found in date seed oil. beta-Carotene was found to be the most occurring carotenoid in all of the 18 date seed oil varieties and ranged between 1.18 mg and 2.68 mg/100 g. Moreover, the 18 date seed oils depicted considerable concentrations of vitamin E (ranged between 1.01 mg and 1.86 mg/100 g alpha-tocopherol: 0.61 mg and 0.98 mg/100 g alpha-trocopheryl acetate; 0.40 mg and 0.70 mg/100 g gamma-tocopherol), and vitamin K1 (ranged between 0.10 mg and 0.19 mg/100 g). The results obtained indicate a strong potential for date seed oil to be used as a source of essential fatty acids in healthy edible oil, as well as in cosmetics and pharmaceutical applications. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.