title: Nutritional composition of Zizyphus lotus L. seeds.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Zizyphus lotus seeds are an unutilized source of vegetable oil and protein and nothing has been reported on their physicochemical characteristics which would indicate the potential uses of these seeds.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The percentage composition of the Zizyphus lotus seeds is (on a dry-weight basis): ash 1.05%, oil 32.92%, protein 19.11%, total carbohydrate 40.87% and moisture 6.05%. Calcium, potassium and magnesium constitute the major minerals of Zizyphus lotus seeds. The seed proteins are rich in threonine, glutamic acid, leucine, arginine and aspartic acid (26.73%, 17.28%, 13.11%, 9.47% and 7.76%, respectively). The main fatty acids of the oil are oleic (61.93%), linoleic (18.31%) and palmitic (9.14%) acids. Glycerol trioleate (OOO; O: oleic acid) was the most abundant triacylglycerol, representing 26.48% of the total triacyglycerols. β-Tocopherol was the major tocopherol (130.47 mg 100 g(-1) ). This oil was rich in Δ7-campestrol and β-sitosterol (147.82 and 82.10 mg 100 g(-1) oil), respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Zizyphus lotus seeds are rich in fat and protein which are of potential industrial significance. In addition, Zizyphus lotus L. seed oil contained many bioactive compounds. This fact is of great economic interest owing to several applications of Zizyphus lotus L. seeds in the food, cosmetics and medicinal industries.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical and Food Engineering, University of Salerno, Salerno 84084, Italy. moncef.chouaibi@yahoo.com.au
authors.forename: Moncef
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Chouaibi
authors.forename: Nesrine
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Mahfoudhi
authors.forename: Leila
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Rezig
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Donsì
authors.forename: Giovanna
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ferrari
authors.forename: Salem
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hamdi
mesh_terms: D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D018977:Micronutrients / Q000032:analysis*; D009753:Nutritive Value; D010938:Plant Oils / Q000737:chemistry*; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000032:analysis*; D012639:Seeds / Q000737:chemistry*; D031957:Ziziphus / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D005227:Fatty Acids; D018977:Micronutrients; D010938:Plant Oils; D010940:Plant Proteins