title: Diversity of Sterol Composition in Tunisian Pistacia lentiscus Seed Oil.
abstract: Pistacia lentiscus L. seed oil is used in some Mediterranean forest area for culinary and medicinal purposes. In this study, we aim to examine, for the first time, the effect of growing area on sterol content of Pistacia lentiscus seed oil. Fruits were harvested from 13 different sites located in northern and central Tunisia. Gas chromatography-flame-ionization detection (GC-FID) was used to quantify sterols and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) was used to identify them. The major sterol identified was β-sitosterol with a value ranging from 854.12 to 1224.09 mg/kg of oil, thus making up more than 54% of the total sterols. The other two main sterols were cycloartenol (11%) and 24-methylene-cycloartenol (5%). Statistical results revealed that growing location significantly (P < 0.001) affected phytosterol levels in these oils.
authors.affiliation: National Institute for Research on Rural Engineering, Water and Forests, INRGREF, BP.10, Ariana, 2080, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Faten
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mezni
authors.affiliation: National Institute for Research on Rural Engineering, Water and Forests, INRGREF, BP.10, Ariana, 2080, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Arbia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Labidi
authors.affiliation: National Institute for Research on Rural Engineering, Water and Forests, INRGREF, BP.10, Ariana, 2080, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Mohamed Larbi
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Khouja
authors.affiliation: Centre des Sciences du Goût et de l'Alimentation, UMR 6265 CNRS, UMR 1324 INRA, Université de Bourgogne, FR-21000, Dijon.
authors.forename: Lucy
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Martine
authors.affiliation: Centre des Sciences du Goût et de l'Alimentation, UMR 6265 CNRS, UMR 1324 INRA, Université de Bourgogne, FR-21000, Dijon.
authors.forename: Olivier
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Berdeaux
authors.affiliation: National Institute for Research on Rural Engineering, Water and Forests, INRGREF, BP.10, Ariana, 2080, Tunisia. khalditn@yahoo.fr.
authors.forename: Abdelhamid
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Khaldi
mesh_terms: D002849:Chromatography, Gas; D013058:Mass Spectrometry; D008968:Molecular Conformation; D027927:Pistacia / Q000737:chemistry*; D010938:Plant Oils / Q000737:chemistry*; D012639:Seeds / Q000737:chemistry*; D013261:Sterols / Q000032:analysis*; D014416:Tunisia
chemical_list: D010938:Plant Oils; D013261:Sterols
keywords: Diversity; Pistacia lentiscus; Seed oil; Sterols