Total oil and fatty acid composition of the seed of 16 grape genotypes with different skin colors and ripening times

BACKGROUND: Grapes, which have gained prominence in recent years due to their positive contributions to human health, are considered a functional food due to the oil content in their seeds. Although the oil content and fatty acid composition of commonly grown grape varieties have been the subject of many studies, these characteristics of local varieties haven’t been sufficiently examined. OBJECTIVE: This study was carried out to determine the usability of grape varieties grown in Southeastern Anatolia (Turkey) in grape seed oil production and identify potential parent candidates that could be used in the breeding of grape varieties with high-quality seed oil. METHODS: The effects of genotypes, berry skin color, ripening time, and the climatic characteristics of the cultivation season on the oil content and fatty acid composition of seeds from 16 different grape (Vitis vinifera L.) varieties were investigated. Grape seed oils were extracted by soxhlet device and major, minor, and essential fatty acid compositions were determined by gas chromatography. RESULTS: According to the findings, the oil content of the grape seeds varied only depending on the genotype and ranged from 9.78% to 18.50% w/w. Moreover, 13–15 fatty acids were detected in the grape seed oils, with linoleic acid (56.13% –69.36%) and oleic acid (15.99% –30.97%) being the most common in all varieties. Only palmitic acid and stearic acid showed variation depending on the skin color; the other fatty acids weren’t affected. Cultivation season didn’t affect the fatty acid composition, but the major and minor fatty acid composition varied depending on ripening time. CONCLUSIONS: In cases where it isn’t possible to separate the seeds of grape varieties on a variety basis, classifying them according to the ripening time of the berries may be helpful in predicting the amounts of major, minor fatty acids and partially essential fatty acids in the seeds.