Apricot seeds, particularly bitter seeds, pose health risks due to their cyanogenic glycosides content. Therefore, determining the amount of amygdalin in seeds is important for the food industry. In this study, the amygdalin content of sweet apricot varieties Hacıhaliloğlu and Kabaaşı, as well as bitter apricot (zerdali), was determined using LS-MS/MS devices. Methods to reduce the amygdalin levels in raw apricot seeds to safe consumption limits were established. The treatments to remove bitterness included sodium bicarbonate alkalinization (4-10% NaHCO3 for 7-15 min), ultrasonic waves (30-50°C for 30-60 min), microwave (240W-560W for 2-5 min), and roasting (120-160°C for 10-20 min). After all treatments, samples were analyzed for fat content, protein, amygdalin content via HCN, antioxidant activity, phenolic compounds, and color values (L, a*, b*, Chroma, Hue) using Soxhlet extraction. The fat content (42.99, 44.35, 40.75 ), protein content (34.14, 30.36, 29.27), and hydrocyanic acid content (mg/kg) (24.56, 30.31, 1630.66) of Hacıhaliloğlu, Kabaaşı, and zerdali varieties were found, respectively. Among the methods used to reduce or eliminate the amygdalin content of raw apricot seeds, roasting emerged as the most effective. For raw zerdali seeds, the amygdalin content was 27.64 mg/g, which decreased to 9.77 after 10 min of roasting at 160°C. In terms of total phenolic content, sweet and bitter seeds had similar values. The antioxidant activity (mg TE/100g) was 82.59 for raw zerdali seeds, with the lowest being for sodium bicarbonate (81.72), ultrasonic (57.5), microwave (52.65), and roasting (97.04) treatments.
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