Phytochemical evaluation of morus alba seeds and cold pressed oil

Abstract

This study has focused on Morus alba, which is grown in Turkey mostly for the production of fruit. M. alba seeds’ analysis results showed that oil, protein, ash, ash insoluble in hydrochloric acid, and total carbohydrate were, 21.33±0.58 g, 21.58±0.13 g, 3.99±0.13 g, 0.9±0.00 g, 54.76±2.42 g for 100 g of sample respectively; the main minerals were calcium, phosphorus, and potassium. Dominating fatty acids were linoleic acid (80.56±0.22%), palmitic acid (7.96±0.06%), oleic acid (7.11±0.05%). The primary volatiles were l-limonene, 2,2-dimethyldecane, and hexanal. Sterol components were found as beta-sitosterol>delta-5-avenasterol>campesterol>cholestenol and the total sterols’ amount was 5501.49±44.26 mg/kg. δ-tocopherol, γ-tocopherol, β-tocopherol, α-tocopherol, total phenolic content, the radical scavenging activity were 257.67±4.51 mg/kg, 18.23±0.11 mg/kg, 6.71±0.13 mg/kg, 3.23±0.06 mg/kg, 137.1±0.36 mgGAE/100 g oil, 19.9±0.46% respectively. Other properties were free fatty acid (1.55±0.89% oleic acid), peroxide value (3.23±0.55 meq O2/kg of oil), p-anisidine value (1.18±0.55) and refractive index (40 °C) (1.4687±0.00). As a result, M. alba seeds and oil along with its fatty acid, tocopherol, sterol and mineral composition can be used as nutritional supplements.