Investigation of Oil Content and Fatty Acid Composition of Pyrus glabra Boiss.

Pyrus glabra (wild pear: Pyrus glabra Boiss) is a perennial plant of the Rosaceae family which is endemic Iran’s flora. Seeds are containing essential oil and substances that had many medicinal and nutritional properties. The experiment was carried out to determine the oil composition and fatty acids amount of Pyrus glabra seeds. The present research is the first report on the quality, oil content, and Fatty acids of the oil extracted from Pyrus glabra in Iran. In order to determine the seed oil percent and composition of fatty acids, the soxhlet method and gas chromatography (GC) were used. Amount of oil obtained from Pyrus glabra seeds was 33%. Based on the analysis of fatty acids by GC, major fatty acids in seeds of Pyrus glabra plant were ten compounds. Oleic acid (48.70) and linoleic acid (39.62) were recognized major fatty acids of oil. Other fatty acids identified were Palmitic, Palmitoleic acid, stearic acid, acid hepta decenoic, margaric acid, acid arachidic, arachidonic acid and linolenic acid. Overall, we can use Pyrus glabra seed in native sanitary and pharmaceutical industries because of it proper oil content, unsaturated fatty acids and antioxidant properties.