Chemistry and Functionality of Fruit Oils: An Introduction

Abstract

Oil-bearing fruits are of great economic importance and nutritional value. The contribution of lipid-soluble phytochemicals to nutrition and health is acknowledged by their composition. Fatty acids and minor bioactive lipids (i.e., glycolipids, phospholipids, tocols, phytosterols, aroma compounds and phenolic compounds) exhibited health-promoting and functional properties in several products. Oils (fixed or essential) and fats extracted from fruit parts (fruit seeds, fruit pulp, fruit peels, fruit pomace, and nuts) generally differ in terms of their major and minor constituents. The methods used to extract oils and fats as well as the processing techniques such as refining, bleaching and deodorization affect their major and minor constituents. In addition, different post-processing treatments (i.e. heating and storage) of fruit oils may alert or degrade important bioactive constituents. This book aims at creating a multidisciplinary forum of discussion on recent advances in chemistry and functionality of fruit oils/fats mainly focusing on their chemical composition, physicochemical characteristics, organoleptic attributes, nutritional quality, oxidative stability, food/non-food applications as well as functional and health-promoting properties.