ABSTRACT
Seed oil content and fatty acid composition of 6 commercially important pomegranate cultivars and 2 local commercial pomegranate seed oils were determined. The oil content of pomegranate seeds of the 6 cultivars ranged between 13.32 and 18.1% [d.b]. Palmitic, stearic, oleic, linoleic, arachidic, acid contents of the oils ranged between 1.5-5.9, 2.5-3.5, 6.2-9.15, 6.7-10.82, 0.47-0.58%, respectively. The predominant unsaturated fatty acid was punicic acid [68.3-73.5%], which is considered to enhance the oil quality and is of importance to health. However, the 2 commercial seed oils didn't contain the punicic acid. Palmitic, stearic, oleic, linoleic, alpha-linolenic acid contents of the oils ranged between 9.81-11.87, 4.11-4.37, 22.54-22.83, 54.95-56.52, 4.76-5.34%, respectively. Therefore, the commercial pomegranate seed oils do not have the same benefit to health as the cultivar seed oils do