Premium
Fatty acid and essential oil composition of three Tunisian caraway ( Carum carvi L.) seed ecotypes
Author(s) -
Laribi Bochra,
Kouki Karima,
Mougou Abdelaziz,
Marzouk Brahim
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
journal of the science of food and agriculture
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.782
H-Index - 142
eISSN - 1097-0010
pISSN - 0022-5142
DOI - 10.1002/jsfa.3827
Subject(s) - carvone , chemotype , limonene , essential oil , fatty acid , food science , chemistry , botany , biology , biochemistry
BACKGROUND: The essential oil and fatty acid composition of Tunisian annual caraway ( Carum carvi L.) seeds from three ecotypes was investigated by gas chromatography and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry analyses. RESULTS: Total fatty acid (TFA) proportion of caraway seeds varied from 2.95% to 5.68% (w/w). The fatty acid composition revealed that Tunisian caraway seed oil is rich in an unusual fatty acid—petroselinic acid—the proportion of which varied from 31.53% and 38.36% of TFA. Essential oil yields were relatively low and ranged from 0.86% to 1.20% (w/w). Forty‐one volatile compounds were identified, the main ones being carvone (76.78–80.53%) and limonene (13.05–20.29%). CONCLUSION: Tunisian caraway seed oil is rich in an unusual fatty acid—petroselinic acid—which is of potential industrial significance. In addition, Tunisian caraway essential oil is carvone chemotype. This fact is of great economic interest due to the several applications of carvone in the alimentary and medicinal industries. Copyright © 2009 Society of Chemical Industry