Fatty acid composition of 21 cultivars of Chinese jujube fruits (Ziziphus jujuba Mill.)

Fatty acids (FAs) have important functions in the human body, and nutritional sources of rare FAs are of special interest. Here, we investigated the distribution of FAs in 21 different cultivars of Chinese jujube by conversion to FA methyl esters (FAMEs). All the tested jujube samples were harvested from one orchard with the same management. A total of 24 different FAs were found in 21 jujube cultivars, including both saturated and unsaturated FAs. Most of Chinese jujube cultivars contained high levels of total FAs, with a significant positive correlation for unsaturated FAs. Notably, we found a balanced content of essential omega-3 and omega-6 FAs, indicating that the Chinese jujubes have high nutritional value. However, the FA composition and content was significantly different among different cultivars. Finally, principal component analysis (PCA) and linear discriminant analysis (LDA) were conducted and most groups were separated clearly, which showed that FAs can be used to classify and differentiate the studied cultivars.