Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2016 Apr;24(2):316-323.
doi: 10.1016/j.jfda.2015.11.001. Epub 2016 Jan 8.

Characterization of myrtle seed (Myrtus communis var. baetica) as a source of lipids, phenolics, and antioxidant activities

Wissem Aidi Wannes  1 , Brahim Marzouk  1
Affiliations

Characterization of myrtle seed (Myrtus communis var. baetica) as a source of lipids, phenolics, and antioxidant activities

Wissem Aidi Wannes et al. J Food Drug Anal. 2016 Apr.

Abstract

This study aimed to characterize the chemical composition and antioxidant activity of the oil and the methanolic extract of Myrtus communis var. baetica seed. The oil yield of myrtle seed was 8.90%, with the amount of neutral lipid, especially triacylglycerol, being the highest, followed by phospholipids and glycolipids. Total lipids and all lipid classes were rich in linoleic acid. The content of total phenols, flavonoids, tannins, and proanthocyanidins of the methanolic extract and the oil from myrtle seed was determined using spectrophotometric methods. Antioxidant activities of the oil and the methanolic extract from myrtle seed were evaluated using 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging, β-carotene-linoleic acid bleaching, and reducing power and metal chelating activity assays. In all tests, the methanolic extract of myrtle seed showed better antioxidant activity than oil. This investigation could suggest the use of myrtle seed in food, industrial, and biomedical applications for its potential metabolites and antioxidant abilities.

Keywords: Myrtus communis var. baetica; antioxidant activity; fatty acids; lipids; oil; polyphenols; seed.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Conflicts of interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

References

    1. Pottier-Alapetite G. Flore de la Tunisie. Angiospermes, dicotyledones dialypetales. Imprimerie officielle de la republique. Tunis, Tunisia: Scientifiques Tunisienne; 1979.
    1. Nuvoli F, Spanu D. Analisi e prospettive economiche dell’utilizzazione industriale del mirto. Riv ital EPPOS. 1996;12:231–6.
    1. Mulas M, Spano D, Biscaro S, Parpinello L. Parametri di qualità dei frutti di mirto (Myrtus communis L.) destinati all’industria dei liquori. Ind Bevande. 2000;29:494–8.
    1. Aidi Wannes W, Mhamdi B, Sriti J, Marzouk B. Glycerolipid and fatty acid distribution in pericarp, seed and whole fruit oils of Myrtus communis var. italica. Ind Crops Prod. 2010;31:77–83.
    1. Mazza G. Gas chromatographic-mass spectrometric investigation of the volatile components of myrtle berries (Myrtus communis L.) J Chromatogr A. 1983;264:304–11.