Determination and comparison of fatty acids composition of apricot and peach oils

Abstract

Apricot and peach oils are often found in pharmaceutical dosage forms. They can be purchased from different manufacturers, which use various approaches for their standardization. The main determinant of any quality oil is represented by fatty acids (FA). Therefore, determination and comparison of FA composition of these oils and assessment of their storage period influence on it were performed. FA composition was determined by gas chromatography using specific Rt-2560 column and Supelco 37 Component FAME Mix. 26 FA in apricot and 28 FA in peach oil samples were identified. Oleic (67.21% in apricot oil; 63.29% in peach oil) and linoleic (22.13% in apricot oil; 25.40% in peach oil) acids were characterized by the highest average concentration in both oils. Among saturated FA, palmitic acid was the first (5.87% in apricot oil; 5.95% in peach oil) and stearic acid was the second (2.08% in apricot oil; 2.92% in peach oil). Total saturated fatty acids (TSFA) and total unsaturated fatty acids (TUFA) values also didn’t have significant differences. The oils have close composition, despite various expiration dates and manufacturers.