Abstract:
The present study was aimed to describe the fatty acid composition, stability and nutritional characteristics of black cumin oil from Iraq. It was obtained by solvent extraction from seeds of Nigella sativaL., locally known as Habbatus sauda. The oil is used throughout the world and is classified as Generally Regarded as Safe (GRAS). The chemical composition of the solvent extracted fixed oil of black cumin was determined by capillary GC/MS. Twenty-six fatty acids (95%) were identified in the oil. The major fatty acids of the oil were linoleic acid (42.76%), oleic acid (16.59%), palmitic acid (8.51%), eicosatrienoic acid (4.71%), eicosapentaenoic acid EPA (5.98%) and docosahexaenoic acid DHA (2.97%). DHA along with EPA in the diet improves learning ability and part of several health foods. Peroxidizability index calculated for the oil was 118.21% and unsaturated/saturated ratio was 5.27. High unsaturated fatty acid content signified it to offer considerable resistance to oxidative rancidity during storage and health benefits on use.
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