Abstract
In this study, the nutritional potential of some hazelnut varieties from the spontaneous flora of Romania was analyzed as a means to increase the sustainability of the local production. The chemical composition from hazelnuts (Corylus avellana L.) from spontaneous flora was determined in terms of mineral substances, protein, as well as essential and non-essential amino acids. The eight amino acids investigated had the following average values: Arg—0.68 g/100 g, Phe—0.415 g/100 g, Ser—0.277 g/100 g, Glu—0.188 g/100 g, Asp—0.133 g/100 g, Pro—0.038 g/100 g, and Lys—0.031 g/100 g. The average values of metal content were in the ranges: 88.39–146.98 µg·g−1 (Fe); 96.93–123.23 µg·g−1(Zn); 46.68–100.38 µg·g−1 (Cu); 26.00–87.78 µg·g−1 (Mn); 4.87–32.19 µg·g−1 (Ni); 1.87–2.84 µg·g−1 (Cr); and 1.29–1.86 µg·g−1 (Cd). Crude protein content values were in the range 16.33–22.31%. In order to harness this nutritional potential, the variety with superior quality indices was included, in the form of flour, in biscuit-type baked goods that were characterized from nutritional and sensory points of view. The results showed that the content of polyphenols increased with the addition of hazelnut flour, as did the content of polyunsaturated fatty acids.
Highlights
In the context of accelerated population growth, finding new food sources with high nutritional and functional potential is a research direction intensively addressed in the agricultural/horticultural/food fields.Hazelnut (Corylus avellana L.), known since ancient times, is a popular nut world-wide, appreciated for the quality of its fruit, for its decorative value, as well as for its property of stabilizing soils, consolidating land, and minimizing erosion [1].Hazelnut is a wind-pollinated plant species, naturally reclaimed and recovered by the whole of Europe, from Norway to the Iberian Peninsula and the Ural Mountains [2,3]
It can be observed that the ash content ranged between 2.31–2.63%, values comparable to those reported by Alasalvar et al [38], who identified an ash content between 2.0–2.3% in hazelnuts, and Tunçil [39], who identified a 2.57% ash content in hazelnuts
The highest values were determined in hazelnut samples from the Lugoj area (C5)
Summary
Hazelnut is a wind-pollinated plant species, naturally reclaimed and recovered by the whole of Europe, from Norway to the Iberian Peninsula and the Ural Mountains [2,3]. It is mainly spread along the coasts of the Black Sea region of Turkey, southern Europe (Italy, Spain, Portugal, and France), and in some areas of the United States (Oregon and Washington). The official data from FAOSTAT on the cultivation of hazelnuts in Romania showed that in 2019, the harvested area of hazelnuts was 890 ha, yield hg/ha—2584 fruit, production, 230 tons. The hazelnut grows naturally in forests; in some areas where the fruits are not harvested, their use in food is limited
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