Authors
Jamila Smanalieva, Janyl Iskakova, Nurzat Shaikieva, Anke Foerster, Anne Hellwig, Thomas Henle
Published in
International journal of food science. Volume 2026. Pages 4555989. Epub Aug 22, 2026.
Abstract
Sweet apricot kernels (Prunus armeniaca L.) are a by-product of apricot processing; however, they remain underutilised. This study investigated the nutritional composition and bioactive properties of sweet apricot kernels from three Central Asian cultivars: Suhany, Kandek and Kurmayi. Apricot kernels are a rich source of nutrients and bioactive compounds, highlighting their potential as functional food ingredients. The kernels contained 3.3%-4.7% moisture, 40.0%-49.9% fat, 17.9%-18.9% protein, 8.1%-14.7% crude fibre and 2.2%-2.7% ash. Glutamic acid was the predominant amino acid, accounting for 24%-25% of the total amino acid content. The kernels were rich in unsaturated fatty acids, with oleic acid (C18:1, cis-9) representing 24%-29% and linoleic acid (C18:2, cis-9,12) representing 5%-9% of total fat content. Essential minerals, including zinc, magnesium and copper, were present at nutritionally relevant levels, with a 30 g serving providing up to 11% of the daily requirement for zinc, 7%-20% for magnesium and 78% for copper. Total polyphenol content ranged from 29 to 194.8 mg GAE/100 g dry weight, whereas vitamin C content ranged from 2.2 to 7.1 mg/100 g. The amygdalin content in sweet apricot kernels is generally low (~0.06-0.88 g/100 g) compared to bitter kernels and is safe for consumption. These findings provide valuable data for updating food-composition databases.
PMID:
42633079
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 23 Aug 2026.
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