THE EFFECT OF STORAGE ON THE FATTY ACID COMPOSITION AND OIL CONTENT OF Cucurbita pepo L. SEEDS

The fatty acid composition and the oil content of pumpkin (Cucurbita pepo L.) seeds were studied to determine what, if any, changes occurred following ten years' storage at 25oC. The first sample was extracted from seeds harvested in 2007, while the second sample was extracted from seeds harvested in 2017. The fatty acid profile was analyzed by means of the gas chromatography method. A decrease in the oil content of 6.75 g (g/100) was observed after the seeds had been stored for ten years. Moreover, the fatty acid composition was also changed. For the seeds harvested in 2017, the dominant fatty acids were linoleic acid C18:2n6 (53.24%), oleic acid C18:1n9 (27.33%), and palmitic acid C16:0 (11.26%). However, the dominant fatty acids in the seeds harvested in 2007 were oleic acid C18:1n9 (45.80%), linoleic acid C18:2n6 (34.10%), and palmitic acid C16:0 (12.09%). As a result of ten years' storage, the oleic acid and palmitic acid levels increased, whereas the linoleic acid and stearic acid levels decreased. Important differences were detected between the samples in terms of the linoleic acid and oleic acid contents of the oils. The dominant fatty acids in both seed samples were observed to be linoleic acid, oleic acid, palmitic acid, and stearic acid. The results were interpreted in terms of nutritional quality and biodiesel quality.