Oils rich in alpha linolenic acid: chemical composition of perilla (Perilla frutescens) seed oil

In this paper, the main chemical properties of Perilla seed oil (PO) obtained by mechanical pressing of Perilla seeds are reported. The analysis of fatty acid composition has highlighted a very high amount of (n-3) α-linolenic acid (ALA), more than 60%, higher than other ALA rich oils such as linseed and sacha inchi oils and similar to chia oil. PO has an important sterol (higher than 3000 mg/kg) and vitamin E (approx. 870 mg/kg) content, while biophenols are in quite low concentration. The analyzed sample showed a very low acid and peroxide value and this is the demonstration that, following the proper technological procedures, it is possible to obtain high quality oils even in presence of high α-linolenic acid concentrations.