Genetic Diversity in Almond (<i>Prunus dulcis</i>)

Sana, Sadia; Akhter, Naheed; Amjum, Fozia; Khan, Samreen Gul; Akram, Muhammad

doi:10.5772/intechopen.99249

Cited by 1 publication

(1 citation statement)

References 61 publications

(70 reference statements)

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…The almond tree (Prunus dulcis), a member of the Rosaceae family, has garnered significant attention due to its remarkable features [1,2]. Almonds belong to the ancient cultivates as their cultivation in Europe dates back to 3000 BC [3,4].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evaluation of the Nutritional Value of Prunus dulcis Blossoms and the Antioxidant Compounds of Their Extracted Oil Using Green Extraction Method

Chatzimitakos,

Athanasiadis,

Kotsou

et al. 2024

Applied Sciences

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Edible blossoms and extracted oils from various parts of plants have gained the interest of researchers in recent years due to their strong antioxidant activity and their high content of vitamins. In addition, they contain a plethora of polyphenols, and they do not have high caloric content. The blossoms of Prunus dulcis (i.e., almond tree) are edible; however, they have not been examined in terms of nutritional value. The present study aimed to examine the nutritional value of almond blossoms, as well as their extracted oil. The fat content of the blossoms was 1.75 g/100 g dry weight (dw), while the defatted blossoms were found to contain 1.34 g/100 g dw of crude protein and 29.97 g/100 g dw of carbohydrates. In addition, the blossom oil was tested for its composition of fatty acids, polyphenols, and total carotenoids. According to the results, several important fatty acids for human health were identified, such as oleic (25.17%), linoleic (15.64%), and linolenic (10.15%). Simultaneously, a low oxidation index (COX), i.e., 4.05, and many monounsaturated (25.17%) and unsaturated (67.56%) fats were detected, while both polyphenols (51.86 mg GAE/kg) and carotenoids were in abundance. Finally, the combination of simple stirring with ultrasound (a green extraction method) was found to be the most appropriate method to ensure maximum amounts of various antioxidant compounds in the blossom extracts (i.e., polyphenols and L-ascorbic acid). After optimization, the total polyphenol content increased by 23.98% and L-ascorbic acid content by 6.96%. In addition, antioxidant activity was tested by different antioxidant assays and specifically FRAP, DPPH, and H2O2, which showed a corresponding increase (14.46, 17.23, and 8.79%, respectively). Therefore, it can be concluded that Prunus dulcis blossoms, besides being edible, are also highly nutritious, and their oil has nutritional value and deserves further exploration.

show abstract

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%