Fatty acid profile, sterols, and squalene content comparison between two conventional (olive oil and linseed oil) and three non-conventional vegetable oils (echium oil, hempseed oil, and moringa oil)

Abstract

Abstract:Newsourcesofbioactivecompoundsareconstantlyexploredforrefor-mulating healthier foods. This work aimed to explore and characterize the fattyacid profile and sterol content of three non-conventional oils used in functionalfood products (hempseed oil, moringa oil, and echium oil) and to compare themwithtwoconventionalones(extravirginoliveoil[EVOO]andlinseedoil).Oxida-tive stability was assessed by determining their acidity value and peroxide con-tent. All oils showed adequate values for acidity and oxidation status. Echiumand hempseed oils showed a high content of polyunsaturated fatty acids (>70%),especially omega-3 fatty acids, while moringa oil was rich in oleic acid. Echiumoil, hempseed oil, and moringa oil presented higher sterol content than EVOO,but lower than that of linseed oil. Sitosterol was the most abundant sterol in allsamples (97.88–275.36 mg/100 g oil), except in echium oil, where campesterol(170.62 mg/100 g oil) was the major sterol. Squalene was only found in significantamounts in EVOO. In conclusion, non-conventional oils seem to be interestingsources of bioactive compounds and have great potential for the food industry.