Quantitative and qualitative evaluation of seed oil of Salicornia europaeae and Halocnemum strobilaceum as a source of edible oil

Identification and cultivation of new oilseeds is an important step in supplying the oil needed in the country. Regarding the vastness of saline areas in the country, the cultivation and exploitation of salinity-resistant plants under saline conditions of both water and soil can be an appropriate option in the field of production and extraction of oils from salinity-resistant plants. The aim of this study was to determine the percentage of extractable oil and the compounds of fatty acids in two halophyte species Salicornia europaeae and Halocnemum strobilaceum on the shores of Lake Urmia. For this purpose, the seeds of the species were collected in autumn of 2016. Fatty acids were extracted by solvent. The solvent-oil mixture was separated by rotary vacuum distiller, and after methyl ester preparation and injection into the gas chromatography (GC), fatty acids were analyzed. To identify the fatty acids, a standard mixture of fatty acids (Sigma Co.) and their inhibition times were used. Data were analyzed by SPSS software using independent t-test. The mean oil yields of two species of S. europaeae and H. strobilaceum was obtained 18.58 and 9.28%, respectively. In total, 12 fatty acids including lauric acid (C12: 0), merisitic acid (C14: 0), myristoleic acid (C14: 1n5), palmitic acid (C16: 0), palmitoleic acid (C16: 1n7), stearic acid (C18: 0), oleic acid (C18: 1n9), linoleic acid (C18: 2n6cis), α-linolenic acid (C18: 3n3), g-linoleic acid (C18: 3n6), and arachidic acid (C20: 0) were recorded in the profiles of these two species. Linoleic acid was the most major unsaturated fatty acid in S. europaeae and H. strobilaceum, at 56 and 54.7%, respectively. Palmitic acid was also predominant saturated fatty acid in S. europaeae and H. strobilaceum, at 11.4 and 9.7%, respectively. The results showed that according to the oil yield (18.58%) and percentage of saturated and unsaturated fatty acids identified, S. europaeae seeds could be evaluated as a source of edible oil.