An ideal fatty acid composition for human health: Hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) seed

Abstract

The objective of this study was to show and crosscheck the seed yield and oil composition of three different seeds growing in different regions of Turkey. Extraction with n-hexane solvent indicated that there were differences in terms of oil yield between the regions. The average oil yield was 33.8% and 33.0% seed-I, 35.7% seed-II (Region-a) and 32.6% seed-III (Region-b) oil yields were obtained. The highest fatty acid content of hemp was found as: linoleic acid (average 55.24%) followed by oleic acid (average 17.20%) and α-linolenic acid (average 16.02%). Crude ash, total dry matter and crude protein analyzes were also performed. It was observed that the hemp seed oil yield was dependent on the extraction whereas extraction had no influence on the fatty acid content. Comparison of the seed oil yield with the other studies indicated that geographical region as well as the extraction method may affect the seed oil yield.