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  fruit production. M. alba seeds’ analysis results showed that oil, protein, ash,  ash insoluble in hydrochloric acid, total carbohydrate were  21%, 21.58±0.13g, 3.99±0.13g,  0.9±0.00g, 54.76±2.42 g/100g respectively,  main minerals were calcium, phosphorus and potassium. Dominated 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, hexanal. Sterol components were found as beta-sitosterol>delta-5-avenasterol>campesterol>cholestanol with 5501.49±44.26 mg/kg total sterols. Tocopherols were δ-tocopherol, γ-tocopherol, β-tocopherol, α-tocopherol, total phenolic content, the radical scavenging activity were 257.67 ± 4.51, 18.23 ± 0.11, 6.71 ± 0.13, 3.23 ± 0.06 mg/kg, 137.1±0.36 mgGAE/100goil,  19.9±0.46% respectively.  Other physicochemical properties  were free fatty acid   (1.55±0.89% oleic acid), peroxide value  (3.23±0.55 meqO 2 /kg oil), p-anisidine value (1.18±0.55) and refractive index (40 0 C) (1.4687±0.00). As a result, M. alba seeds and oil  with its fatty acid, tocopherol, sterol and mineral composition can be used as nutritional supplements.