Comparison of Oil Content and Fatty Acids Profile of Western Schley, Wichita, and Native Pecan Nuts Cultured in Chihuahua, Mexico

Abstract

Two different extraction processes, Soxhlet and ultrasound, were used to obtain the oil extracts of Western Schley, Wichita, and Native pecan nuts cultured in Chihuahua, Mexico. The aspects evaluated in this study were the extraction yield of the processes and fatty acids' profile of the resulting extracts. Gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was used to identify and determine the composition percentage of fatty acids present in pecan nuts oils extracted. The results obtained show that higher oil extraction yields were obtained by Soxhlet method with hexane (69.90%) in Wichita varieties. Wichita, Western Schley, and Native pecan nuts from Chihuahua are rich in PUFA (polyunsaturated fatty acids) and MUFA (monounsaturated fatty acids) and have low levels of SFA (saturated fatty acids). The predominant fatty acid present in all pecan nuts oils was linoleic acid followed by oleic acid. Myristic acid, palmitic acid, and linolenic acid were also identified in representative quantities. The results from this study suggest that there are statistically significant differences in the chemical composition of the pecan nuts oils extracted from the varieties cultured in Chihuahua, Mexico, and those cultivated in other regions of the world.

Influence of Cultivar on Nutritional Composition and Nutraceutical Potential of Pecan Growing in Uruguay

“…The kernels of the pecan cultivars studied are low in the saturated fatty acids and high in unsaturated. Regarding MUFA and PUFA values, and also the ratio between both (MUFA/PUFA) in our research are consistent with other reports ( 40 ). Cultivars with the lower ratio are more prone for oxidation, so this can be considered as an indicator of the quality of kernels and it could be used as a selection factor for high resistance to rancidity in storage conditions of nuts after harvest.…”

A Sensory Analysis of Raw Native, ‘Kanza’, and ‘Pawnee’ Pecans

“…For example, in study of pecans grown in Chihuahua, Mexico, native pecans had a higher oil content than 'Western Schley' but a lower content than 'Wichita'. Not only did the oil content differ across pecan types but the composition of the oil did as well; the oil from native pecans had higher amounts of linoleic acid but lower amounts of oleic acid (Rivera-Rangel et al, 2018).…”

Determination of Oil Content and Fatty Acid Composition of Twenty-Six Pecan Cultivars Grown in Türkiye

“…In addition, the pecan cultivars analyzed in the current study had a higher oil content than the other nuts (pistachios, hazelnuts, almonds, macadamias, pinenuts, walnuts, cashew nuts, Brazil nuts) reported in the literature (Yıldız et al, 1998;Amaral et al, 2006;Sathe et al, 2008;Venkatachalam and Sathe, 2006;Doğan and Akgül, 2005;Bakkalbaşı et al, 2010). The oil content and fatty acid composition of pecans can vary depending on cultivar, harvest year, growing location and condition, ripening, extraction method, soil type and climate (Wakeling et al, 2001;Villarreal-Lozoya et al, 2007;Bouali et al, 2013;Dominguez-Avila et al, 2013;Rivera-Rangel et al, 2018;Ribeiro et al, 2020).…”

“…Pecan oil is added to salad sauces and meals due to its distinctive flavor, and is also used as an ingredient in lotions, soaps, perfumes, and massage oils in the cosmetic industry (Salvador et al, 2016). Pecan oil is one of the healthy oils because of its high content of unsaturated fatty acids (UFAs) and low amounts of saturated fatty acids (SFAs) (Rivera-Rangel et al, 2018). The fatty acid composition of pecan oil generally consists of oleic, linoleic and linolenic, palmitic, and stearic acids (Jia vd., 2019).…”