Abstract
In this study, fatty acids, phytosterol classes and tocopherols composition of Milk thistle seeds oil were determined at four varieties grown in Ardebil-Iran. The four varieties consisted of two modified foreign varieties—Budakalaszi (originally from Hungary) and the CN-seed variety (originally from England) and two native varieties, namely Khoreslo and Babak Castle. The oil content of the seeds ranged from 26 to 31%. Among the fatty acids, linoleic acid had the highest percentage (50–54%) followed by oleic acid (23–29%) and palmitic acid (7–8%). This is the first detailed report on the phytosterol classes of milk thistle seeds oil. The 4-Desmethylsterol class was predominant (1,800–2,200 μg/g) followed by 4,4′-dimethylsterols (50–85 μg/g) and 4-monomethylsterols (26–35 μg/g). The α-, β-, γ-, and δ-tocopherols ranged from 187 to 465, 10 to 51, 9 to 12, and 18 to 80 μg/g oil, respectively. Based on the results obtained, the extracted oil from milk thistle seeds are rich in essential fatty acids, sterols and vitamin E and can be an attractive candidate for use in food preparation mixed with other vegetable oils or alone.
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Fathi-Achachlouei, B., Azadmard-Damirchi, S. Milk Thistle Seed Oil Constituents from Different Varieties Grown in Iran. J Am Oil Chem Soc 86, 643–649 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11746-009-1399-y
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11746-009-1399-y