Fatty acid composition and nutritional value of purple-leaved hazelnut genotypes under forest-steppe conditions in Ukraine

Abstract

Aims. The aim of the study was to determine the fatty acid profile of three genotypes of purple-leaved hazelnut of Ukrainian breeding, grown in the forest- steppe conditions of Ukraine. Methods. Hazelnut oil fatty acids were analysed by gas–liquid chromatography after modified Folch extraction with HCl/methanol transesterification and Sorbsil clean-up. Results. The fatty acid profile in the studied hazelnut genotypes was dominated by monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids, which constituted 80.63% of the total lipids. The most common fatty acid was oleic acid, which accounted for 61.86% of the total. Linoleic acid was in second place, at 16.65%. Among the saturated fatty acids, palmitic acid (12.96%) and stearic acid (5.76%) predominated. Several other fatty acids were also identified in smaller quantities. ANOVA analysis did not show statistically significant differences between the genotypes and years, which indicates the stability of their fatty acid profile. A comparison with the literature shows that these genotypes have a lower oleic acid content and a higher saturated fatty acid content than other cultivars, which is likely related to the extraction method. Conclusions. The Ukrainian purple-leaved hazelnut genotypes studied have a stable and homogeneous fatty acid profile. The significant proportion of unsaturated fatty acids identified highlights their nutritional value. The lipid extraction method has a significant impact on the final fatty acid profile, which underscores the importance of standardizing methods for accurate comparison.