Evaluation of hazelnut and walnut oil chemical traits from conventional cultivars and native genetic resources in a non-traditional crop environment from Argentina

The oil content and oil-quality responses of several hazelnut and walnut cultivars were evaluated in a new, non-traditional crop environment in north-western Patagonia. Moreover, two Argentinean landraces were studied for the first time. Oil contents were in the ranges 66–72% (hazelnuts) and 74–79% (walnuts). Oleic acid predominated largely (78.4–84.4%) in hazelnut oils, whereas linoleic acid did in walnut oils (52.2–60.9%). Concentrations of individual fatty acids from the two local landraces were similar to those from most commercial cultivars grown worldwide. Total tocopherol concentrations varied largely among oils from each nut species (404–534 mg/kg, hazelnuts; 319–424 mg/kg, walnuts). All hazelnut and walnut genotypes showed good oil yield and quality traits in the crop environment evaluated as compared with data from by the USDA National Nutrient Data Base for Standard Reference. Results connected with fatty and tocopherol profiles suggest potential value for breeding purposes towards obtaining nuts and oils with enhanced oxidative stability. Overall, findings contribute in enlarging the biodiversity sources to develop new cultivars with promising marketable quality characteristics.