Assignment on [ALMOND SEEDS AND ALMOND OIL]

NEAR EAST UNIVERSITY

Department of analytical chemistry

Assignment on almond
seeds and almond oil

Presented by: Abeida khaled bahri Mohamed

ID : 20142099
Under supervision: prof. Dr .filiz. A

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Assignment on [ALMOND SEEDS AND ALMOND OIL]

A b s t r a c t……………………………………………………

Almond fruit consists of three or correctly four portions: kernel or meat,

middle shell, outer green shell cover or almond hull and a thin leathery layer
known as brown skin of meat or seedcoat. The nutritional importance of
almond fruit is related to its kernel. Other parts of fruit such as shells and
hulls were used as livestock feed and burned as fuel. In the past decades,
different phenolic compounds were characterised and identified in almond
seed extract and its skin, shell and hull as almond by-products. In addition,
polyphenols are abundant micronutrients in the human diet, and evidence
for their role in the prevention of degenerative diseases such as cancer and
cardiovascular diseases is emerging. The health effects of polyphenols
depend on the amount consumed and on their bioavailability. In this
contribution, various phenolic compounds present in almond and its by-
products, their antioxidant properties and potential use as natural dietary
antioxidant, as well as their other beneficial compounds and applications are
reviewed

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Assignment on [ALMOND SEEDS AND ALMOND OIL]

Introduction …………………………………………………….

Nuts are known as a source of nutritious food with high lipid content.

Replacing half of the daily fat intake with nuts has been known to lower total

and LDL cholesterol levels significantly in humans .The observed blood

cholesterol lowering effects of nuts were far better than what was predicted

according to their dietary fatty acid profiles . Research also shows a

connection between regular nut consumption and decreased incidence of

coronary heart disease These beneficial physiological effects suggest that

bioactive compounds of nuts may possess lipid altering activities due to

additive/synergistic effects and/or interactions with each other. Dietary

antioxidants provide protection against oxidative attack by decreasing

oxygen concentration, intercepting singlet oxygen, preventing first-chain

initiation by scavenging initial radicals, binding of metal ion catalysts,

decomposing primary products of oxidation to non-radical compounds, and

chain breaking to prevent continuous hydrogen removal from substrates .

Almonds (Prunus amygdalus), which belong to the Rosaceae family that also

includes apples, pears, prunes, and raspberries, are one of the most popular

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Assignment on [ALMOND SEEDS AND ALMOND OIL]

tree nuts on a worldwide basis and rank number one in tree nut production.

They are typically used as snack foods and as ingredients in a variety of

processed foods, especially in bakery and confectionery products The

United States is the largest almond producer in the world and most of the

US almonds are grown in California , in an area that stretches over 400 miles

from Bakersfield to Red Bluff . Over 7000 individual growers cultivate more

than 400,000 acres of almonds. Almonds are California’s largest tree crop

based on dollar value, acreage, and world distribution. Five major varieties

of almonds grown in California include Nonpareil, Mission, California,

Neplus Ultra, and Peerless. Of the five groups listed, most almond

production (about 90%) falls into three major marketing categories of

Nonpareil, California, and Mission Almonds are the seeds of varieties of P.

amygdalus .

Almonds, when incorporated in the diet, have been reported to reduce

colon cancer risk in rats and increase HDL cholesterol and reduce LDL

cholesterol levels in humans . Extracts of whole almond seed, brown skin,

shell, and green shell cover (hull) possess potent free radical-scavenging

capacities .These activities may be related to the presence of flavonoids and

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Assignment on [ALMOND SEEDS AND ALMOND OIL]

other phenolic compounds in nuts. Almond hulls have been shown to serve

as a rich source of three triterpenoids (about 1% of the hulls), betulinic,

urosolic, and oleanolic acids . as well as flavonol glycosides and phenolic

acids . In addition, and , isolated catechin, protocatechuic acid, vanillic

acid, p-hydroxybenzoic acid, and naringenin glucoside, as well as

galactoside, glucoside, and rhamnoglucoside of 3β-O-methylquercetin and

rhamnoglucoside of kaempferol. The production of almond hulls, which are

mainly used in livestock feed, is estimated to exceed 6 million tons annually,

thus being a potentially good source from which to extract antioxidants that

are present, if any, in high quantities , (1)

Almond oilis an excellent moisturizer and lubricant, which prevents the skin

from drying and keeps you free from chapped and peeling skin. For

centuries, almond oil had been used, as a soothing remedy for skin allergies,

and to treat minor cuts and wounds. Another common use of almond oil is

in massages because it is an excellent skin lubricant. Its properties make it

popular with massage therapists’ worldwide. It does not have any greasy

effect and will take a little bit of time before it is absorbed by the skin. Using

it for a massage makes your body feel relaxed and your skin looking healthy.

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Assignment on [ALMOND SEEDS AND ALMOND OIL]

It will definitely relieve the stress you have from a hard day’s work. The

newly pressed sweet almond oil is a mitigator of pain and all manner of

aches; therefore it is good in calming of head, brain, pleurisy and colic.(2)

HPTLC…………………………………………………………..

Almond Cream contains the almond oil which acts as a beautifying agent

and it is useful for all skin types and textures it absorbs in to the skin.

Almond oil moisturize dehydrate skin. It nourishes and revitalizes, protects,

soothes and calms the skin. The cream contains almond oil, which acts as

highly active natural humectants, emollient, revitalizing, beautifying and

cleansing agent for all skin types and textures. The cream is indicated as

excellent moisturizer and lubricant and prevents the skin from drying and

keeps the skin from chapped and peeled. It helps skin to maintain optimum

moisture levels. Chemical fingerprinting has been demonstrated to be a

powerful technique for the quality control of herbal medicines. A chemical

fingerprint is a unique pattern that indicates the presence of multiple

chemical markers within a sample. No HPTLC method has been reported for

the evaluation and identification of Prunus amygdalus var. dulcus oils in

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Assignment on [ALMOND SEEDS AND ALMOND OIL]

creams as per the literature survey. Therefore the objective of this

investigation was to develop a simple, economical, selective, reliable and

precise HPTLC technique for the identification of almond oil form cream

base formulation. The proposed method was validated using (ICH)

guideline(2)

2. Almond (P. amygdalus L.) fruit characteristics …………

The peach-like edible almonds fruit (P. amygdalus) have three distinct parts:

the inner kernel or meat, the middle shell portion, and an outer green shell

cover or hull. Almond varieties vary in shell texture; therefore they are

termed hard or soft shelled. The harvesting procedure starts when the

almonds are partly dried on the trees. In addition the sweet almond is a

stone fruit which have several unique features. It is commercially cultivated

where there are long, hot, and Mediterranean like summers, such as those in

Spain, Morocco, Armenia, Iran, Italy, California (USA), and Australia. It is

unique, in that unlike others in its botanical family, such as peach, apricot

and plum, where the flesh (mesocarp) of the fruit is eaten and the seed

within its shell, or stone (endocarp) is discarded, the reverse is true for the

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Assignment on [ALMOND SEEDS AND ALMOND OIL]

almond early in its maturation cycle, for a period of a few weeks, the entire

fruit (seed, endocarp and mesocarp) can be, and is, eaten, in several parts of

the world. As the maturation cycle continues, the hull splits open. When dry,

it may be readily separated from the shell. The almond pit, containing a

kernel or edible seed, is the nut of commerce, the endocarp (shell), and

mesocarp are separated for low value uses, such as cat litter and animal

feed .Shelled almonds may be sold as whole natural almonds or processed

into various almond forms. The whole natural almonds have their shells

removed but still retain their brown skins; blanched whole almonds have

both their shells and skins removed. Usually, the removed skins are

discarded (1)

3. The biochemical composition of the almond…………….

Almond oil comprises sizeable proportions of the essential fatty acids, which

needs to be derived from the diet hence deemed essential, as they are not

synthesised by the body. Almond oil is rich in beta-zoosterol, squalene and

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Assignment on [ALMOND SEEDS AND ALMOND OIL]

alpha-tocopherol, all of which are important constituents of healthy looking

skin. Clearly from Fig. 1a and b, almonds are a rich source of essential fatty

acids, carbohydrate and protein and is a highly nutritional

source of vitamins and minerals. Interestingly, the almond’s rich vitamin B

complex and zinc content support its skin-beautifying properties, as these

components are key to developing and maintaining healthy-looking skin (3)

Fig. 1a

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Assignment on [ALMOND SEEDS AND ALMOND OIL]

Fig. 1b

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Assignment on [ALMOND SEEDS AND ALMOND OIL]

4. Almond oil……………………………………………………

Oleum amygdalae is prepared from a variety of almonds and is a glyceryl

oleate, with a slight odour and a nutty taste. It is almost insoluble in alcohol

but readily soluble in chloroform or ether and it is used a substitute for olive

oil as it exhibits similar carrier properties. Sweet almond oil is obtained from

the dried kernel of the plant. This oil has been traditionally used by massage

therapists to lubricate the skin during a massage session, and is considered

by many to be an effective emollient. With respect to its chemical

properties, almond oil is a unique non-toxic, non-irritating, nonsensitising

and non-comedogenic, water insoluble, readily emulsifiable ester, which

possesses the following unexpected properties

and attributes:

1- imparts a dry lubricating feel in the presence of large amounts of mineral

oil or petrolatum

2- superior solubiliser of lipophilic cosmetic raw materials, especially

sunscreen agents and volatile silicones

3- high positive spreading coefficient

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Assignment on [ALMOND SEEDS AND ALMOND OIL]

4- anti-tack agent, especially in antiperspirant formulations

5- wetting agent and auxiliary suspending agent for water insoluble

powdered products

6- stable to hydrolysis within pH range of about 2–12 (3)

5. Health benefits………………………………………………

It is thought that almonds and almond oil have many multifaceted

properties including anti-inflammatory, immunity-boosting and anti-

hepatotoxicity effects. Further associations between almond oil and

improved bowel transit have been made; as per the result of one study use

of almond oil reduces irritable bowel syndrome symptoms. Further, some

studies show a reduced incidence of colonic cancer. Moreover,

cardiovascular benefits have also been identified with almond oil elevating

the levels of socalled ‘good cholesterol’, high-density lipoproteins (HDL),

whilst it reduces low-density lipoproteins (LDL). Recent studies have found

that the inclusion of almonds in the diet elevates the blood levels of

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Assignment on [ALMOND SEEDS AND ALMOND OIL]

high-density lipoproteins (HDL) and lowers low-density lipoproteins (LDL).

Similarly, a controlled trial showed that 73 g of almonds in the daily diet

reduced LDL cholesterol by as much as 9.4%.2 Historically, almond oil had

been used in Ancient Chinese, Ayurvedic and Greco–Persian schools of

medicine to treat dry skin conditions such as psoriasis and eczema.From

history it is known that the Ayurvedic schools of medicine used almonds and

almond oil to improve skin complexion and to treat skin conditions, thereby

promoting soft healthy skin. Further they used it as a nutritive for the brain

and nervous system. Across the Indian subcontinent

today, many physicians prescribe almonds for those partaking in scholastic

pursuits such as undertaking examinations etc. in view of this point. The

Greco–Persian Unani–Tibb medical system considers almond oil as a natural

aphrodisiac for massage and internal consumption. Together with these

massage properties, almond oil has sclerosant properties which can be used

to reduce hypertrophic scarring. Almond oil is often used together with

phenol and injected in to haemorrhoids. This practice is typically seen in

South-East Asia, but is still used in Europe to date. Almond oil is commonly

used in otolaryngology for conditions affecting the

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Assignment on [ALMOND SEEDS AND ALMOND OIL]

outer ear such as otosclerosis once again for its anti-sclerosant properties.

More recently, Cayce, an American holistic practitioner recommended that

almonds should be included in the staple diet as he claimed health benefits

including improved complexion, improved movement of food through the

colon and the prevention of cancer were attributable to almonds and their

consumption.(3)

References …………………………………………………….. 1 - The

importance of almond (Prunus amygdalus L.) and its by-products Ali Jahanban
Esfahlan a,*, Rashid Jamei a, Rana Jahanban Esfahlan b 2010
2 - Development of HPTLC Qualitative Finger Printing Profile of Almond
Oil in Marketed Herbal Cream , Safeena Sheikh*, Suhail Asghar, Showkat
Ahmad
Unijules life sciences ltd, Survey No. 338(P - 38), Next to MIDC Industrial Area
Kalmeshwar-441501,
Nagpur, Maharashtra, INDIA.2013
3 - Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice , The uses and properties
of almond oil , Zeeshan Ahmad*
Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Salisbury General Hospital, Salisbury, Wiltshire
SP2 8BJ, UK 2010

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