Background: Sumac (Rhus coriaria L.) belongs to Anacardiaceae family. The dried and powdered fruits are used as a food flavoring and medicinal plant.
Objective: In this study, variability of fatty acid composition in some wild sumac fruits were investigated.

Method: The samples were collected from their natural origins in central parts of Iran; Isfahan and Markazi province in the September to October, 2016. The morphological characters of fresh fruits were measured. Also oil content and profile of fatty acids composition were measured.

Results: Results indicated that there are significant differences between morphological characteristics, oil percent and fatty acids compositions of wild sumac fruit populations. The range of oil percent of Iranian sumac population was 9.22% to 15.33%. The major oil quantity contained unsaturated fatty acids (64.75%- 74.08%) followed by saturated fatty acids (25.84%- 35.13%). Among saturated fatty acids, palmitic was evaluated as the highest value (21.36- 29.79 %) while the most unsaturated fatty acids were oleic acid (36.65- 44.74 %) and linoleic acid (22.62- 33.48 %). Also, soil and geographical characteristics show significant relationship with fatty acids quantity in this study.
Conclusion: According to our results concluded that the differences between fatty acids of sumac fruits may be related to the growth conditions like soil and geographical characteristics. Also, this study demonstrates that sumac can be a good source of fatty acids and could be useful for human nutrition.

Background: High level of blood cholesterol can cause diseases such as atherosclerosis, high blood pressure, cardiovascular diseases, and increase the chance of apoplexy and fatty liver. Unsaturated fatty acids play important roles in preventing cardiovascular diseases because they decrease total cholesterols and LDL-C in the blood. Objective: The study investigates some sterol compounds of Iranian pomegranate seed oil and their effects on decreasing the level of cholesterol in hypercholesterolaemia rabbits. Methods: Three different varieties of pomegranate were selected and oil extraction was done from powdered tissue by Soxhlet extractor. Then, the extract was transfused into GC-MS for Identification Sterol Compounds. Oil extracted from pomegranate was taken into the diets of hypercholesterolemia rabbits. Results: The results showed that the major phytosterols in pomegranate seed and skin tissues were stigmasterols, ∆5-avenasterols, campsterols and beta-sitosterols, among which the β-sitosterols most dominant phytosterols. Studying the influence of oil extracted on decreasing cholesterol in hypercholesterolemic rabbits show that using 5 and 10 g/kg extracted oil from pomegranate seeds in the diet of hypercholesterolemic rabbits (tested with cholesterol 1%) can decrease significantly total cholesterol, triglyceride and LDL-C of hyperlipidemia against neutral sample and it can increase significantly HDL-C. Conclusion: The role of the pomegranate seed oil in improving the lipid profile of the plasma and reducing undesirable fats may be can have a considerable effect on human health and lowering blood lipids and lowering the risk of cardiovascular disease. Increasing awareness of the potential capacity of this valuable fruit can help to play a ‎better role in the various industries.

Background: The pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) is one of the oldest edible fruits that belongs to the Punicaceae family and different parts of it have been used as medicinal plant. The pomegranate seeds are the sources of lipid, sugars, protein and essential minerals. Objective: This study was planned to investigate the composition of fatty acids in seed oil of eight Iranian pomegranate cultivars. Methods: Mature ripe fruits of eight pomegranate cultivars were harvested from a commercial pomegranate orchard. Arils were dried via an air oven and oil extraction process was performed using Soxhlet apparatus with petroleum ether as solvent. Finally, identification of fatty acids in pomegranate seed oil was done by gas chromatography (GC). Results: A considerable variation was observed in the composition of fatty acids and oil content of pomegranate cultivars. The total oil content of the Iranian pomegranate cultivars was ranged from 10.81 g/100 g DW to 15.03 g/100 g DW palmitic acid (C16:0), stearic acid (C18:0), oleic acid (C18:1), linoleic acid (C18:2) and linolenic acid (C18:3) were major fatty acids in the Iranian pomegranate cultivars. Linolenic acid being considered and identified as the main fatty acid, ranged from 71.35 % for Poost-Ghermez to 74.58 % for Gar cultivars (P < 0.05). In saturated fatty acids, palmitic acid (C16:0) with a mean of 0.414 (g/100 g DW) and in unsaturated fatty acids, linolenic acid (C18:3) with a mean of 7.3 (g/100 g DW) were the dominant fatty acids found in studied pomegranates. Also, our results showed that Sorahi cultivar had the highest oil content (15.03 %), C18:1 (8.92 %) and C20:1 (1.12 %) among selected pomegranate cultivars. In pomegranate seed oil, 7.84 % of the fatty acid was saturated and 91.08 % was unsaturated. In addition, the ratio of polyunsaturated fatty acids to saturated ones were found 9.83 to 11.54. Conclusion: Eight cultivars of the Iranian pomegranate seed oils in this study contained very high levels of unsaturated fatty acids especially in linolenic acid. The quality obtained due to fatty acid composition can in turn enhance the general condition of the heath.