Fatty Acid Composition and Sterol Contents of Some Origanum Seed Oils

The aim of this present study is to determine oil content, fatty acid composition, and sterol profile of several Origanum species from Turkey to show the usefulness of this unusual raw material for oil processing. The oil content of Origanum seeds are found between 7.8% (O. brevides) and 27.2% (O. majorana). Linoleic [10.7% (O. brevidens) to 20.8% (O. vulgare subsp. viride)] and α-linolenic acid [34.4% (O. brevidens) and 67.4% (O. minutiflorum)] are the predominant fatty acids of Origanum seed oils. The seed oils of Origanum samples only contain low levels of saturated fatty acids with palmitic and stearic acid as the main saturated fatty acids. Among all oil samples, the highest phytosterol content is found for ß-sitosterol ranging between 2462 mg kg−1 (O. vulgare subsp hirtum) and 5280 mg kg−1 (O. minutiflorum). Most of the Origanum species are very similar to O. vulgare regarding fatty acid and phytosterol composition, only O. brevidens shows a fatty acid composition with oleic and linoleic acid as predominant. Practical application: Today the search for new raw materials for oil processing is an ongoing task to solve the world-wide increasing demand for edible oil. From several investigations it is known that seed oil from Origanum vulgare is a good source of edible oil and essential fatty acids. The present work also gives some new information about the oil content as well as the composition of fatty acids and phytosterols of other members of the genus Origanum to evaluate their usefulness for the production of edible oil. In this study, oil content, fatty acid composition and sterol profile of several Origanum species collected from several provinces (Antalya, Bilecik, Bolu, Burdur, Hatay, Isparta, Karaman, Mersin and Osmaniye) of Turkey are determined. Most of the Origanum species are very similar to O. vulgare regarding fatty acid and phytosterol composition. Only O. brevidens shows a fatty acid composition with oleic and linoleic acid as predominant.