Apricot kernels as a new source of protein and antioxidants

At the time of climate change, it is important to seek the new sustainable additional source of nutrition.
Thus, the using of many natural resources as possible and minimize the amount of waste in food or technological processing.
A by-product of apricot fruit, the apricot kernel is except the high content of protein a rich source of bioactive compounds.
In this study apricot kernels of 42 different apricot cultivars were analyzed.
The attractiveness of kernels was evaluated by measuring the weight (1.0±0.2 g on average) and kernel-to-stone weight ratio (31±5% on average). The percentage of protein content was 24±4% on average with the range from 15.3 to 31.6%. The Turkish apricot kernels reached the highest and statistically different values (28.4% on average). For all cultivar kernels the analysis of total phenolics (in range from 33.5 to 969.2 mg GAE 100 g^-1, flavonoids (in range from 0 to 246.9 mg CA 100 g^-1 and antioxidant capacity (in range from 0 to 590 mg TE 100 g^-1 were performed.
According to the obtained results, the Turkish apricot cultivars were recommended as the best for kernel processing in food industry.

V Balkan Symposium on Fruit Growing

E. Zezulová, T. Nečas, M. Mrázová, T. Kiss

Prunus armeniaca, stone fruit, protein, phenolic, flavonoid

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2026.1449.61