The medical and nutritional analysis of fig (ficus carica) seed oil; A new gamma tocopherol and omega-3 source

Abstract The Medical and Nutritional Analysis of Fig (Ficus carica) Seed Oil; A New Gamma Tocopherol and Omega-3 Source Ficus carica (common fig) is a tree native to southwest Asia and the eastern Mediterranean and it is one of the first plants that were cultivated by humans. The fig is an important harvest worldwide for its dry and fresh consumption. Its fruit, root and leaves are used as anti-inflammatory and antispazmoidic drugs for treatment of various disorders, such as gastrointestinal (colic, dyspepsia, anorexia, and diarrhea), respiratory (sore throat, cough and bronchial problems) and cardiovascular disorders in traditional medicine. There are many studies on latex, leaves, fruit and root of the fig in the literature. However, according to our knowledge, to date, fig cores (Ficus carica) have not been decomposed and analyzed for its oil content. Obtaining methods of the fig cores are developped by Mehmet Şimşek and as far as known kernel oil belonging to Ficus carica was first obtained in pure form. Ficus carica kernel oil which was obtained by cold pressing, was analyzed in Aegean University Drug Development and Pharmacokinetics Research and Application Center, Food Analysis Laboratory (Report No: 14011930). High-Performance Chromatography Fluorescence Detector (HPLC-FLD) method was used to measure the level of vitamin E tocopherol, and the fatty acid content was analyzed with Gas Chromatography with Flame Ionization Detector (GC-FID) method. According to the results, Ficus carica kernel oil content appears rich in terms of linolenic acid (C18:3), linoleic acid (C18:2) and oleic acid (C18:1). Besides, it contains 391.89 mg/100 g gamma tocopherol. Due to those results it seems Ficus carica kernel oil has a privileged situation in the health sciences. KEYWORDS: Ficus carica; fig seed oil; omega-3; gamma tocopherol