Chemical and Physical Characteristics and Fatty Acid Profile of Some Oil Seeds of Apiaceae Family in Iraq

Fixed oils (lipids) from the seeds of Anise (Pimpinella anisum L.), Cumin (Cuminum cyminum L.), Fennel (Foeniculum Vulgare L.) and Caraway (Carum carvi L.) were extracted by the cold press. The oil content, chemical and physical properties, as well as, minerals content were determined. Results approved that the oil content of the examined samples was at the range of 12.5-17.16%.; the most dominant fatty acids were petroselinic acid (18:1-δ-6), which is a characteristic fatty acid of the Apiaceae family (anise, cumin, fennel, and caraway) at the range of 55.43 to 79.3%, followed by linoleic acid (13.16 to 331.71%.). The obtained results from free fatty acid (FFA) and acid value (AV) found to be the lowest in anise seed oil (1.6%, 0.82 mg KOH/g oil, respectively); while, caraway seed oil had the highest values of PV and viscosity at 25 C (3.7 meq. O2/kg oil, 85.24 Cp, respectively). Chlorophyll and density measured from 0.09-0.43 mg/kg and 0.93-0.96 g/cm3. In this study, the mineral content of the Apiaceae plants oils is detected by Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FE-SEM). Cumin seed oil had the lowest value of sulfur and carbon (0.04, 68.65, respectively). Aluminum and Bromine ranged from 0.79-20.5 and 1.47-14, respectively. The percentage of inhibition of caraway, cumin, Anise, and Fennel fixed oil in the linoleic acid system were 78.87, 75.31, 60.26, and 59.11%, respectively, compared with Standard synthetic antioxidant BHT which was 92.07%. Keywords: Antioxidants, Apiaceae, Fatty acids, GC-MS, FE-SEM, petroselinic acid