b s t r a c tPhytochemical compound

b s t r a c t
Phytochemical compounds (tocopherols, tocotrienols, and squalene) were measured in seven macadamia
cultivars harvested from four locations on Hawaii island to establish whether these compounds enhance
the oxidative stability of roasted kernels. Cultivars that had the greatest oxidative stability also had high
total lipid-soluble antioxidant capacity. Tocopherols [delta (d), gamma (c), alpha (a)] were not detected in
most macadamia nut samples, but macadamia kernels contained significant amounts of tocotrienols
(31–92 lg/g oil) and squalene (72–171 lg/g oil) for all cultivars tested. This is the first report of variation
for three tocotrienol homologs (d-, c-, a-T3) and total antioxidant capacity in macadamia nut cultivars. No
statistical correlations were found between oxidative stability and tocopherol, tocotrienol, and squalene
concentrations. However, two cultivars (HAES 294 and HAES 835) were identified with superior oxidative
stability, suggesting that the kernel quality of these cultivars is more stable during storage.
Published by Elsevier Ltd.