Determination of the chemical composition of seeds, peels, and seedcakes from two genotypes of Cape gooseberry (Physalisperuviana L.)

Abstract

Physalis peruviana L. fruit (Cape gooseberry, CG) is a rich source of phytonutrients, including vitamins, minerals, polyphenols, polyunsaturated fatty acids (FAs), phytosterols, dietetic fibers, and others. The popularity and production areas of CG have been expanding worldwide, thus producing fruit with origin-substantiated differences in their nutrient composition.This study was based on the comparative assessment of 2 genotypes of CG produced in Bulgaria (CG-P and CG-F), through analysis of the lipid fraction of different fruit elements (seeds, peels), and further examination of the extracted seedcakes. The CG seeds reasonably yielded more oil (17.0%–22.2%) than the isolated peels (2.8%–2.9%). The main FAs in the CG-P seed oil were oleic (29.6%) and palmitic (20.6%), and in the CG-F seed oil were palmitic (20.9%) and stearic (17.5%). Both CG peel oils were dominated by palmitic acid (43.0%–60.2%), but there was a significant variation of some other FAs. The group of bioactive tocopherols was found exclusively in the oil extracted from the CG seeds, with no significant difference between the genotypes; β-tocopherol and δ-tocopherol were the most abundant. Waste from the oil extraction (the seedcakes) was found to contain high levels of macro and microminerals (K, Mg, Cu, Zn, Mn, and others), fiber (40.26%–47.62%), protein (13.73%–8.08%), and essential amino acids, with some genotype-based variations. The results demonstrated that, concerning the studied aspects of fruit composition, CG produced in Bulgaria was comparable to the fruit of other origins; hence, they might be of practical interest to national agricultural and food producers, as well as to the food industry on a wider basis, as new details are added to the knowledge about CG fruit. The outcomes from the examination of the CG seedcakes were in favor of their potential in human and animal nutrition, and might serve as grounds for the development of new products.