Fatty Acid Composition and Its Relationship with Physicochemical Properties of Pecan (Carya Illinoensis) Oil J.F
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Fatty Acid Composition and Its Relationship with Physicochemical Properties of Pecan (Carya illinoensis) Oil J.F. Toro-Vazquez*, M.A. Charó-Alonso, and F. Pérez-Briceño aFacultad de Ciencias Quémicas-CIEP, Universidad Autónoma de San Luis Potosí, San Luis Potosí 78210, México ABSTRACT: The composition and physicochemical proper- do so. However, it is important to point out that the results of ties of pecan (Carya illinoensis) kernels and oils from different Mattson and Grundy (1) have not been consistently demon- native trees of the central region of Mexico were investigated. strated by other investigators. Some of the problems that The main compositional characteristic of the kernel was the might be associated with this inconsistency of results have high lipid content (70–79% w/w on dry basis) with elevated been pointed out (2,3). The HDL are the lipoproteins respon- concentration of oleic acid (55–75% w/w). The results con- sible for transporting cholesterol to the liver where it is catab- firmed the relationship in the biosynthesis of linoleic and olized. Then, a reduction in the blood levels of HDL is not linolenic acids from oleic acid existing in oilseeds. Our results indicate that in pecans such relationship is a function of pecan advisable. The so-called Mediterranean diet, with a lipid tree age. The proportion of oleic, linoleic, and linolenic fatty source mainly based on olive oil (55–83% oleic acid), ob- acids determined the oxidative stability, viscosity, and melt- tained considerable attention, supported by additional claims ing/crystallization behavior of pecan oil. In general, these prop- of lower colon cancer mortality rates and lower incidence of erties in pecan oils were similar or superior to extra-virgin olive breast cancer in countries that follow this diet (e.g., Spain, oil and unrefined sesame oil. Although all native pecan oils Greece, Italy) (2,4). studied showed a significant concentration of oleic acid, a par- Another vegetable source high in monounsaturated oil is the ticular group of native Mexican pecan trees produces an oil pecan. Pecan kernels from the genus Carya contain 65–75% with a fatty acid composition with the nutritional appeal that oil, depending on growing conditions, maturity, variety, and consumers demand nowadays (i.e., very high oleic acid, past productivity of the tree. In general, pecan oil is mainly 60–75%), with excellent natural oxidative stability (i.e., induc- composed of oleic acid (60–70%) and linoleic acid (19–30%) tion time for oxidation between 8.5 and 10.8 h), and substan- tially higher concentrations of α-, γ-, and δ-tocopherol than in with small concentrations of palmitic, stearic, and linolenic pecan varieties previously reported in the literature. fatty acids (3,5–9). Pecan oil is very low in saturated fatty acids Paper no. J9046 in JAOCS 76, 957–965 (August 1999). (<9%)—only high-oleic safflower (4–8%) and canola (<7.0%) oils are lower—and is exceeded in monounsaturated fatty acids KEY WORDS: Oil viscosity, oleic acid, oxidative stability, concentration by olive oil and other less-commercial oils like pecan oil, tree age. hazelnut (≈80–81%) and almond (60–80%). The objective of this study was twofold: to determine the general composition of pecan kernels (Carya illinoensis) and As consumers become more aware of the health implications pecan oil and to investigate the relationships between the fatty of their dietary patterns, their food choices become more se- acid oil profile and some physicochemical properties (i.e., lective. The nutritional effect of dietary lipids is nowadays a viscosity, stability to oxidation, and melting/crystallization major consumer issue, affecting consumption habits and food profiles) of pecan oil. In this study we utilized oil extracted choices. Well-known by consumers is that polyunsaturated from pecan kernels from native trees growing in the central fatty acids as well as monounsaturated fatty acids reduce the region of Mexico. blood levels of low-density lipoproteins (LDL) when com- pared to saturated fatty acids. However, Mattson and Grundy MATERIALS AND METHODS (1) reported a decrease in high-density lipoprotein (HDL) lev- els in subjects following a polyunsaturated diet, while sub- Pecan collection and storage. The pecans from 22 trees were jects following a monounsaturated fat diet were less able to collected. The trees grow in Queretaro (n = 12), Guanajuato (n = 7), and San Luis Potosí (n = 3), states geographically lo- cated in central Mexico. The pecan trees were selected under *To whom correspondence should be addressed at Facultad de Ciencias the basis of kernel color (∆E = 20.6) and agronomic parame- Químicas-CIEP, Universidad Autonoma de San Luis Potosí, Av. Dr. Manuel Nava 6, Zona Universitaria, San Luis Potosí, SLP, 78210, México. ters such as pecan yields (112–314 pecans/kg of pecan) and E-mail: [email protected] percentage of kernel present in the pecan nut (38.4–49%, wet Copyright © 1999 by AOCS Press 957 JAOCS, Vol. 76, no. 8 (1999) 958 J.F. TORO-VAZQUEZ ET AL. basis). The ∆E value, a parameter known as color difference, lizing the spindle CP-40 and a volume of 0.5 mL. The shear corresponds to one of the six categories defined by Thomp- stress (Γ) was obtained within the shear rate interval (γ) of − son et al. (10) and transformed from the Munsell color nota- 22.5 to 450 s 1. The η at each temperature was calculated by tion system for pecan color determination. The whole pecans determining the slope of the linear regression of Γ on γ utiliz- were stored in sealed plastic bags (400 g) at −25°C until their ing the statistical package STATISTICA v. 5.1 (StatSoft, analysis. Tulsa, OK). Duplicate determinations were performed. Although the age was recorded for each tree collected, this The crystallization and melting profiles were obtained by variable was not considered to perform the pecan tree selec- differential scanning calorimetry (DSC-7; Perkin-Elmer, Nor- tion. Tree age was determined by counting the tree rings in a walk, CT); the equipment was previously calibrated with in- transverse section of the tree log (i.e., a core of wood) with a dium, utilizing an empty aluminum pan as inert reference ma- stereoscopic microscope. The transverse section of the tree terial. First, the oil sample in a sealed pan (≈12 mg) was heated log was obtained at a height of 1.30 m from the ground with at 80°C during 10 min to eliminate crystallization memory; a borer (i.e., Pressler drill) of 14 inches of bit length and 0.169 then the system was cooled to −40°C at a rate of 10°C/min (dy- inches of core diameter. namic section), keeping the oil at this temperature for 30 min Chemical determinations. Before the chemical determina- (isothermal section). Afterward, the melting thermogram was tion, the kernels were manually separated from the shell. The obtained by heating the system to 80°C at a rate of 5°C/min. water content was determined by drying (70°C/18 h) of milled From the dynamic crystallization thermogram, the peak tem- ≈ kernel ( 2 g). The total lipid content was quantified in dry- perature in the crystallization exotherm (TCr) was calculated milled kernels (≈2 g) through Soxhlet extraction (6 h) with with the DSC-7 library software. In the same way, the induc- hexane [high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) tion time of crystallization (Ti) (i.e., time where the heat capac- grade]. Protein was determined by micro-Kjeldhal (150–200 ity of the sample had a significant departure from the baseline) mg of dry-milled kernel) using a conversion factor of 5.3. The was determined from the isothermal thermogram, and the tem- fatty acid composition of pecan oil was determined by gas perature at the melting peak (TM) was calculated from the melt- chromatography utilizing a Shimadzu chromatograph GC-9A ing thermogram of the oil crystals. (Shimadzu Corp., Kyoto, Japan) with flame-ionization detec- The oxidative stability index (OSI) in the oils and milled tor; the conditions utilized in the chromatograph were reported pecan kernels was determined at 110°C in an oxidative stabil- previously (11). The α-, γ-, and δ-tocopherol was determined ity instrument (Omnion Inc., Rockland, MA), utilizing 5 ± 0.2 g by HPLC (Waters 600E; Water Millipore Co., Milford, MA) of sample. The induction time for oxidation in hours (OSI110) with ultraviolet detection utilizing a Nova-Pak column (3.9 × was calculated with the software of the equipment. 150 mm). A solvent composed of hexane/acenonitrile/2-iso- As in the chemical analysis, samples of unrefined and re- propanol (98:1:1, vol/vol/vol) was utilized at a flow rate of 0.9 fined sesame seed oil as well as samples of extra-virgin olive mL/min. The identification and quantity of particular tocoph- oil were physicochemically analyzed for comparison purposes. erols in the oil were achieved by determining the elution time and areas obtained with standards (Sigma, St. Louis, MO) RESULTS AND DISCUSSION eluted in pure form and in mixtures at different proportions. The exact concentration of the standards was determined The present investigation was an observational study in which through spectrophotometry utilizing an extinction coefficient no variable was controlled. The pecan oils studied were ob- 1% α in ethanol (E 1cm) of 71 for -tocopherol at 294 nm, 92.8 for tained from native species grown under the natural variation γ-tocopherol at 298 nm, and 91.2 for δ-tocopherol at 298 nm of the environmental conditions found in the central region of (9). For comparison purposes, samples of unrefined and refined Mexico. sesame seed oil (Aceitera San Juan, S.A., Salvatierra, Gto., The general composition and physicochemical properties México) as well as samples of extra-virgin olive oil (Ybarra of the pecan kernels and pecan oils investigated are shown in Hermanos S.A., Seville, Spain) were analyzed for fatty acid Table 1.