Recent studies have clearly shown the importance of polyunsaturated fatty acids (as essential fatty acids) and their nutritional value for human health. In this review, various sources, nutritional properties, and metabolism routes of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC-PUFA) are introduced. Since the conversion efficiency of linoleic acid (LA) to arachidonic acid (AA) and also α-linolenic acid (ALA) to docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosatetraenoic acid (EPA) is low in humans, looking for the numerous sources of AA, EPA and EPA fatty acids. The sources include aquatic (fish, crustaceans, and mollusks), animal sources (meat, egg, and milk), plant sources including 20 plants, most of which were weeds having a good amount of LC-PUFA, fruits, herbs, and seeds; cyanobacteria; and microorganisms (bacteria, fungi, microalgae, and diatoms).

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A comparison of iodine values showed that the degree of saturation of tea seed oil (Lahjan variety) was intermediate between the oils of sunflowerseed (Fars variety) and olive (Gilezeytoon variety), and the saponification values of these three oils were similar. Tea seed oil consisted of 56% oleic acid (C18∶1), 22% linoleic acid (C18∶2), 0.3% linolenic acid (C18∶3), and therefore, on the basis of oleic acid, occupied a place between sunflower and olive oil. In studies at 63°C, the shelf life of tea seed oil was higher than that of sunflower oil and similar to olive oil. Tea seed oil was found to have a natural antioxidant effect, and it enhanced the shelf life of sunflower oil at a 5% level. In this study, tea seed oil was found to be a stable oil, to have suitable nutritional properties (high‐oleic, medium‐linoleic, and lowlinolenic acid contents), and to be useful in human foods.

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The search for natural antioxidants, especially of plant origin, has notably increased in recent years. Bunium persicum Boiss. is an economically important medicinal plant growing wild in the dry temperature regions in Iran. In this study, chemical constituents of the essential oil of the seed from Bunium persicum Boiss. have been studied by GC/MS technique. The major components were caryophyllene (27.81%), gamma-terpinene (15.19%), cuminyl acetate (14.67%). Individual antioxidant assays such as, DPPH* scavenging activity and beta-carotene bleaching have been carried out. In DPPH* system, the EC(50) value of essential oil was determined as 0.88 mg/mL. In beta-carotene bleaching antioxidant activity of essential oil (0.45%) was almost equal to BHT at 0.01%. In addition, the antioxidant activity of the essential oil was evaluated in crude soybean oil by monitoring peroxide and thiobarbituric acid values of the oil substrate. The results showed that the Bunium persicum essential oil (BPEO) was able to reduce the oxidation rate of the soybean oil in the accelerated condition at 60 degrees C (oven test). The essential oil at 0.06% showed the same effect of BHA at 0.02%. Hence, BPEO could be used as an additive in food after screening.

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