Oil and Conjugated Linolenic Acid Contents of Seeds from Important Pomegranate Cultivars (Punica granatum L.) Grown in Turkey

In the present study, seed oil content and fatty acid composition of 15 commercially important pomegranate cultivars were determined. The oil content of pomegranate seeds ranged between 13.95 and 24.13% (d.b). Palmitic, stearic, arachidic, and behenic acid contents of the oils ranged between 2.10-2.77, 1.35-2.01, 0.33-0.48, and 0.16-0.22%, respectively. The predominant unsaturated fatty acid was punicic acid (70.42-76.17%) and a minor unsaturated fatty acid was gadoleic acid (0.42-0.75%). The analysis on unsaturated fatty acids particularly showed significant amounts of punicic acid, which is considered to enhance the oil quality and is of importance to health.