Evaluating the fatty acid composition of the oil from fruit hulls of two Pistacia species growing wild in Iran

摘要

The Pistacia genus includes the Anacardiaceae family and consists of 11 species. Three Pistacia species occur naturally in Iran, including Pistacia vera, Pistacia atlantica, and Pistacia khinjuk [1]. P. atlantica and P. khinjuk grow wildly and largely in the southwest and west of Iran. P. atlantica and P. khinjuk grow 600 to 3000 m and 700 to 1900 m above sea level, respectively [2]. The fruits of P. atlantica and P. khinjuk are used by natives as food after grinding and mixing with other ingredients. They are round to oval, somewhat flat, and 0.5-0.7 cm and 0.3-0.5 cm in diameter in P. atlantica and P. khinjuk, respectively. Their wooden hard shells are covered with a rather dry hull, which could be easily removed by pressing between fingers. The color of these soft hulls is dark green [3] and their oil contents are 30% (P. atlantica) and 40% (P. khinjuk).