Characterization of white Mahlab (Prunus mahaleb L.) seed oil: a rich source of α-eleostearic acid

Seed oils with high polyunsaturated fatty acid content are used in various industries including the food and pharmaceutical industries. White mahlab (Prunus mahaleb L.) seed was found to contain 31% oil. The oil was highly polyunsaturated and abundant in α-eleostearic (38.32%), oleic (31.29%), and linoleic (22.96%) acids, which together comprised 93.91% of the total fatty acids. The α-eleostearic acid was identified and characterized based on (1)H-NMR, UV, and FTIR spectroscopy. The oil was characterized by a relatively high quantity of tocopherols with γ-tocopherol as the major tocopherol isomer. The physicochemical characteristics of the white mahlab seed and seed oil were also determined. The thermogravimetric analysis indicated that the oil was thermally stable up to 350 °C and began to decompose at 520 °C. This study demonstrated that these seeds may be reused and their oil incorporated into other food products, a beneficial practice considering that the compounds present in the seeds and oils have positive effects on human health.

In this study, mahlab seed oil was found to have potentials to become a new edible oil source as it contained a high level of polyunsaturated fatty acids especially, α-eleostearic acid, which is a conjugated fatty acid rarely found in vegetable oils and has a beneficial effects on human health.