Nutritional quality, lipid, and mineral profiling of seven Moroccan Apiaceae seeds

The present study was conducted to determine the proximate composition, mineral content, fatty acid profile, phytosterol, and tocopherol composition of seven Apiaceae seeds (Coriandrum sativum, Petroselinum crispum, Carum carvi, Pimpinellla anisum, Foeniculum vulgare, Cuminum cyminum, and Ammodaucus leucotrichus), grown in four different regions of Morocco. The proximate composition (moisture, ash, oil, and protein contents), energy value, and mineral profile were determined from the seed powder. While fatty acid, phytosterol, and tocopherol composition were determined from the soxhlet extracted oils. The results obtained during this study showed significant difference between the seven analyzed seeds. Moisture content varied between (6.76±0.03 and 8.68±0.08 g/100g), ash content ranged between (5.17 ± 0.05 g/100g and 6.64 ± 0.02 g/100g), oil content varied between (10.63 ± 0.53 and 14.38 ± 0.37 g/100g), protein content ranged between (7.68 ± 0.18 and 13.65 ± 0.12), carbohydrate content varied from (57.35 ± 0.52 to 67.21 ± 0.92 g/100g), and energy value varied from (385.37 ± 1.66 to 408.14 ± 1.94 kcal/100g). The major macroelement detected in all samples was S (1199.71 ± 0.42 to 2232.77 ± 7.72 mg/kg) followed by K (118.773 ± 0.7 to 199.812 ± 0.002 mg/kg), Ca (69.14 ± 0.18 to 121.23 ± 0.63 mg/kg), and P (21.96 ± 0.01 to 52.46 ± 0.08 mg/kg), while Fe (0.82 ± 0.01 to 7.36 ± 0.03 mg/kg) was the main microelement detected. Total phenol content ranged from 10.51 ± 0.64 mg GAE/g DM to 28.51 ± 1.81 mg GAE/g DM. Among the tested seeds, Foeniculum vulgare, Cuminum cyminum, Coriandrum sativum, and Carum carvi exhibited the highest antioxidant activity. Eleven fatty acids were detected in our samples with a dominance of petroselinic acid (53.15 ± 0.05 to 80.65 ± 0.05 g/100g), and linoleic acid (7.7 ± 0.1 to 31.25 ± 0.05 g/100g). Total tocopherol contents ranged from (102.81 ± 0.79 to 359.07 ± 0.13 mg/100g) with dominance of γ-tocopherol, ⍺-tocotrienol, and β-tocopherol. Total sterol content varied between (2556.24 ± 9.34 to 9339.33 ± 1.48 mg/kg). The major compound was β-sitosterol (997.55 ± 4.2 to 4362.15 ± 7.28 mg/kg), and the second was Δ-5-stigmasterol (632.73 ± 3.9 to 2908.36 ± 7.04 mg/kg). Moroccan Apiaceae seeds can be considered as a good source of energy, minerals, petroselinic acid, phytosterol, and tocopherol, which suggests an interesting nutritional, cosmetic, and medicinal applications.