Changes in sugar contents, amino acid, sterol and tocopherol compositions of prickly pear fruit and seed oils

Abstract

In the present study, moisture, sugar, protein, amino acid, sterol and tocopherols contents and composition of prickly pear fruits and seed oils grown in different locations (Fethiye, Hatay, Anamur, Adana and Alanya) in Turkey were determined. Prickly pear fruit samples contained 38.92 (Adana) - 44.71% (Antalya) glucose, 24.95 (Fethiye) - 29.17% (Alanya) fructose and 0.15 (hatay) and 0.36% (Antalya) and 6.17 (Muğla)-0.34% (Antalya) protein depending on locations. While alanine contents of prickly pear pulp change between 0.09% (Fethiye) and 0.13% (Alanya), valine contentsof fruit samples changed between 0.09% (Fethiye) and 0.13% (Alanya). Proline contents of prickly pear fruits varied between 0.84 (Alanya) to 1.07% (Fethiye). β-sitosterol contents of fruits ranged from 762.76 (Adana) to 974.86 mg/100 g (İskenderun-Hatay) whereas the total sterol amounts of prickly pear seed oils were identified between 1113.76 (Fethiye) and 1710.35 mg/100 g (Hatay). ɣ-tocopherol amounts of prickly pear seed oils varied between 17.4 Mersin (Anamur) and 25.5 mg/100 g Antalya (Alanya) and other tocopherols were found at very low levels depending on the location.The most abundant tocopherol was ɣ-tocopherol (17.4 mg/100 g (Anamur) and 25.5 mg/100 g (Alanya). Hence it may be inferred that habitat (locations) had significant effects on protein, sugar, amino acid, sterol and tocopherol contents of prickly pear samples. Results were found partly similar, and differences observed can be due to genetic factors of prickly pear seeds and climatic factors of habitats because habitat is an effective factor on phytochemical constituents of plants.