TITLE:
Properties of Apricot Kernel and Oils as Fruit Juice Processing Waste
AUTHORS:
Mehmet Musa Özcan
KEYWORDS:
Apricot, Kernel, Oil, Fatty acid Composition, Mineral Contents
JOURNAL NAME:
Food and Nutrition Sciences,
Vol.1 No.2,
November
3,
2010
ABSTRACT: Recently, more attention has been focused on the utilization of food processing by products and wastes, as well as under-utilization agricultural products. Some physical and chemical properties, mineral contents and fatty acid composition of apricot kernel and oils were determined. The oil yields from kernels changed from 42.2% to 57.2%. The crude fibre contents ranged between 4.06% and 7.63%. In addition, crude protein contents ranged between 15.1% and 24.2%. While the peroxide values of kernel oils change between 0.834 meq/Kg and 8.294 meq/Kg, acidity values ranged between 0.279% and 0.700%. The main fatty acids in apricot kernel oils were oleic, linoleic and palmitic acids. Oleic acid contents of kernel oils varied between 53.06% and 70.90%. On the other hand, linoleic acid contents ranged between 21.43% and 35,67%. As a result, the present study showed the apricot kernels of the researched species of apricot kernels from Turkey are a potential source of valuable oil which might be used for edible and other industrial applications.