BERRY SEEDS: A SOURCE OF SPECIALTY OILS WITH HIGH CONTENT OF BIOACTIVES AND NUTRITIONAL VALUE

ABSTRACT

Selected berry seed oils from blackberry, blueberry, cranberry, strawberry, red raspberry and kiwi were characterized for their quality and nutritional characteristics. These oils are by-products of berry juice production that have only recently gained commercial interest. Free fatty acid content was below 1.6% for all examined oil samples. Peroxide value ranged between 0.6 and 44 mg O₂/kg oil for blackberry and kiwi seed oils, respectively, and p-anisidine value varied from 6 in cranberry to 23 in strawberry. Linolenic acid content ranged from 17.53% in blackberry seed oil to 57.60% in kiwi seed oil. The oxidative stability of all oils was rather low (0.17 h for kiwi to 8.4 h for blackberry at 97.8C). Phytosterol contents ranged between 403 and 692 mg/100 g for blackberry and cranberry, respectively. The content of tocols (tocopherol + tocotrienol) varied from 34.4 for kiwi to 2,133 mg/kg for red raspberry seed oils.

PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS

A waste stream of fruit processing is used to extract the oil from berry seeds. Such oils are particularly rich in essential fatty acids (with a favorable low n-6/n-3 ratio) and antioxidants. They are incorporated in cosmetic preparations such as hand and body creams, and shampoos. Their composition is also interesting from a nutritional point of view. As the commercial interest is growing, chemical studies are necessary to elucidate the composition, activity and stability of different berry seed oils.