In macadamia breeding programs, emphasis has been placed on
developing high-yielding cultivars adapted to specific locations.
The chemical composition and nutritional aspects of kernels have
been mostly disregarded. Cultivar comparisons for phytochemical
content are limited, and there have been no reports comparing
antioxidant capacity, tocotrienol contents or squalene concentrations
in Hawaii’s macadamia nut cultivars. The objectives of this
research were to identify and quantify specific phytochemicals (tocols
and squalene) in macadamia nuts and establish whether these
compounds enhance the oxidative stability of dried and roasted
kernels