Characterization of Triacylglycerols in Pistacia Vera L. Oils From Different Geographic Origin

Pistacia vera L. is the only species of the Pistacia genus that produces edible nuts. It is mainly cultivated in the USA, western Asia and some Mediterranean countries. In this study, the triacylglycerol (TGs) composition of the oil extracted from the pistachio kernels coming from seven different countries (Italy, Turkey, Iran, Syria, Tunisia, Greece and the USA), as well as the distribution of the fatty acids (FAs) attached to the glycerol molecule were determined by HPLC. The major FAs were oleic (C18:1), linoleic (C18:2) and palmitic (C16:0) acids forming more than 90% of the total FAs. The main TGs found in the P. vera oil were: OLO, OLL, OOO, LLL, OLP, LLP and OOP, accounting for more than 85% of the total TGs. Principal component analysis and linear discriminant analysis (PCA and LDA) were successfully used and indicate that the TG characteristics studied are suitable for authenticating geographical origin of pistachio seeds.