TITLE:
Nutritional Value of Italian Pistachios from Bronte ( Pistacia vera, L.), Their Nutrients, Bioactive Compounds and Antioxidant Activity
AUTHORS:
Laura D’Evoli, Massimo Lucarini, Paolo Gabrielli, Altero Aguzzi, Ginevra Lombardi-Boccia
KEYWORDS:
Bronte’s Pistachios, Dietary Fiber, Phytic Acid, Inositol Pentaphospates, Carotenoids, Tocopherols, Phytosterols, Total Polyphenols, Antioxidant Activity
JOURNAL NAME:
Food and Nutrition Sciences,
Vol.6 No.14,
October
29,
2015
ABSTRACT: This study gives an overview on the nutritional value, bioactive compounds and antioxidant activity (ABTS and FRAP) of Bronte’s pistachio (Pistacia vera, L., cv. Bianca) from Sicily (Italy). Bronte’s pistachios are rich in fat, protein, dietary fiber, trace elements (Fe, Zn, Cu, Mn) and minerals (Ca, P, K, Mg, Na). Lipids mainly consist of MUFA (33.8 g/100g), primarily oleic acid (32.4 g/ 100g); PUFA is mostly represented by linoleic acid (7.49 g/100g). Bronte’s pistachios are also a valuable source of bioactive compounds such as total polyphenols (501.5 mg/100g), lutein (1.26 mg/100g), β-carotene (0.18 mg/100g), γ-tocopherol (19.2 mg/100g) and phytosterols (134.4 mg/100g). Among phytosterols, the main is β-sitosterol (86% of total content), followed by Δ5-avenasterol (6.3%). Phytic acid content is 1763 mg/100g; Ins(1,2,4,5,6)P5 and Ins(1,2,3,4,5,)P5 have been detected too (31 mg/100g and 10 mg/100g, respectively). The antioxidant activity was determined both in hydrophilic and lipophilic fraction of pistachios, showing >80% of the total antioxidant activity in the hydrophilic, predominately due to phenolic compounds.