Physico-Chemical and Qualitative Characteristics of Oil in Ten Soybeans Varieties Cultivated in Iran

Ten varieties of Iranian soybeans are cultivated in different areas of the country; Persia or Sahar (SR), Hill (HL), Williams (WZ), Gorgan 3 (GN), Clarke (KL), Hawkey (HK), Zaan (ZN), Harcor (HR), Dare (DR) and Simes (SS), grown in tropical regions. Samples of these 10 varieties were obtained from the Institute of Plant and Seed Research. After sample preparation, their oils were extracted and analyzed for iodine content, saponification, refractive index, specific gravity, peroxide, free fatty acids, color, fatty acids composition, Fe and Cu. Statistical results showed that there were significant differences (P < 0.05)between them. Fatty acid profiles showed that the ZN and GN varieties had the lowest and highest linoleic and linolenic fatty acids, respectively. The ZN variety had the highest oleic acid content. It was concluded that the ZN variety is best in chemical composition for oil production, with HR and WZ ranked second and third.