Characterization of pistachio oils and defatted flours regarding cultivar and geographic origin

The present study analyses pistachio oil and defatted flour obtained from twenty cultivars originating in eight different countries. To identify the cultivar effect, all pistachio varieties were grown in the same plot to control environmental and agricultural management effects on kernel chemical traits. Regarding oil, three different groups were defined according to the physicochemical parameters of interest. Cultivars in group 1 showed a higher content of linoleic fatty acid (higher than 26.4%), while cultivars in group 3 type showed a stronger presence of oleic acid (higher than 67.8%), resulting in oils that were more stable to oxidation. Cultivars with intermediate characteristics were included in group 2. Defatted flours showed significant differences in nutritional quality parameters, such as protein content (34.6-46.1%) or concentration of essential minerals, such as Fe (17.3-45.1 mg/kg) or Mg (0.13-0.18 g/100 g). Beyond the cultivar effect, the geographical origin of the cultivar was identified for the first time as a source of variability in pistachio product traits. The content of Fe in pistachio flours and the content of stigmasterol in pistachio oils are proposed as useful parameters for discrimination of cultivars attending to the place where the cultivar was originated.