Abstract
Oil content and oil characteristics of sweet and sour cherry kernels from 8 Iranian cultivars were examined. The ranges of values were: 20.5–37.9% for the oil content of the kernels; 0.77–1.19% for unsaponfiable matter; 188.2–191.5 for saponification value; 123.1–127.8 for iodine value (Hanus); and 1.4692–1.4721 for refractive index at 40 C. As to fatty acid composition of the samples, traces of myristic, 6.7–9.9% palmitic, 0.9–4.2% stearic, 0.3–1.1% arachidic, 0.3–0.7% palmitoleic, 38.6–53.2% oleic, 33.9–51.9% linoleic, and 0.2–0.8% linolenic acids were determined by gas chromatographic analysis