Seeds and seed oil compositions of Aleppo Pine (Pinus halepensis Mill.) grown in Jordan

The seeds of Aleppo pine (Pinus halepensis Mill.) cultivated in Jordan were evaluated for their proximate composition and fatty acid, sterols, and amino acid contents. The fat, protein, ash and total carbohydrate contents (on dry matter basis) were 32.1, 29.8, 5.5 and 32.6%, respectively. The major fatty acids were linoleic (55.4%) and oleic (23%) acids. The seed oil content of Delta-5-olefinic acids was 8.7%. The unsaturated/saturated fatty acids ratio was 10.4. The major phytosterols were beta-sitosterol (75.4%), campesterol (11.4%) and Delta-5-avenasterol (9.8%). The amino acid profile is characterized by high glutamic add and arginine contents (193.7 and 140.3 mg/g protein respectively) and very low ratio of lysine to arginine (0.13). In conclusion, the high content of protein and unsaturated fatty acids, and the high ratio of unsaturated to saturated fatty acids, as well as the presence of bioactive components including sterols, Delta-5-olefinic acids, and the low ratio of lysine/arginine in Aleppo pine seeds contribute to a healthy heart diet.