Fatty acid composition, phytochemicals and antioxidant potential of Capparis spinosa seeds

The present study evaluates the contents in bioactive compounds, antioxidant activity, oil content and fatty acid composition of Capparis spinosa seeds. Samples were collected from 5 different habitats (AH: Ahar; KU: Kurdistan; U1, U2 and U3: Urmia) in Iran. The oil content in the seeds ranged from 16 to 27%. The predominant fatty acid was linoleic acid (45-50%) followed by oleic acid (30-39%), palmitic acid (2-8%) and stearic acid (2-3%). Total phenolic content (TPC) varied from 16.3 to 24.2 mg GAE/ g DW; total flavonoid content (TFC) ranged from 1.48 to 3.05 mg QE/g DW; and the antioxidant activity (DPPH assay) of the seeds was between 35 and 63%. The compounds obtained from different genotypes of C. spinosa seeds had different compositions, great antioxidant capacity and unsaturated fatty acids, and therefore could be a prospective source of natural bioactive molecules for the food and health industry.