Composition of Hazelnuts (Corylus Avellana L.) Grown in Albania
Keywords:
Hazelnut, Corylus AvellanaL, Tonda romana cv, Visoka cv., Triglycerides, minerals, AlbaniaAbstract
Located in the Western Balkan, Albaniais characterized by a Mediterranean climate, which is present in most of its territory. Its geography imposes the possibility of cultivating nuts, showing economic interest in agriculture. The hazelnuts (Corylus avelana L.) in the national subsidy scheme, currently under implementation, are showing high interest in increasing the cultivated nuts’ plantation area. Beyond the economic interest, nuts show a high scientific interest due to their significant contribution to the Mediterranean Diet and their nutritional benefits, such as being an essential source of polyunsaturated fatty acids and essential minerals. Preliminary studies on the main constituents from the two hazelnut cultivars, Visoka and Tonda romana cv., were conducted in two selected regions during the 2011harvesting year. The fatty acid analysis used the AOAC (2000) method. The chemical characterization indicated that the main constituent in the dried hazelnuts results in triglycerides of 59.9- 61.02 g/100 g dry weight. The protein content varies from 14.25-15.14g/100g, and carbohydrates vary from 18.21-20.55 g/100 g dry-weight hazelnut. Minerals with higher values resulted in potassium of 907 mg100g-1 and calcium of 190.5 mg 100g-1. Iron, manganese, magnesium, and copper were other minerals of nutritional importance.
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