Evaluation of Fatty Acid Composition, Antioxidant and Antimicrobial Activity, Mineral Composition and Calorie Values of Some Nuts and Seeds from Turkey

The samples of the hazelnut, peanut, pistachio, almond, walnut, chestnut, pumpkin seed and sunflower seed were collected from Turkey. The fatty acid compositions of Turkish nut and seed oils were analyzed by Gas Chromatography (GC) were determined. The antioxidant activity of the samples was assessed by 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging capacity assay toward BHT and Vitamin C. Retinol and alpha-tocopherol were analyzed using High-Pressure Liquid Chromatography with UV Detector (HPLC-UV). The antimicrobial and antifungal activities of Turkish nut and seeds were evaluated using the disk diffusion method toward 9 bacteria and 5 yeasts. The nut and seeds showed strong antimicrobial activity against the test organisms. Spectroscopic determination of minerals (Calcium, magnesium, potassium, sodium, iron, copper, manganese, selenium, zinc, chromium, aluminum) of nuts and seeds was performed with inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometer (ICP-AES). The calorie values of samples were measured using a Bomb Calorimeter.