Cold pressed oils from genus Prunus

Abstract In recent decades there has been a significant demand to recover waste from agroindustry, especially from fruit processing. One of the most important residues is seeds that can be processed and incorporated into the human diet. Species that belong to Prunus (apricot (Prunus armeniaca L.), sweet cherry (P. avium L.), sour cherry (P. cerasus L.), nectarine (P. persicae var. nectarina (Aiton) Maxim.), peach (P. persicae (L.) Batsch var. persicae), and plum (P. domestica L.)) can be used as new and nonconventional oilseed crops. Kernel oil from those species contains high levels of unsaturated fatty acids, where oleic acid and linoleic acid are dominant. In addition, the oils are rich in other bioactive compounds such as minerals, vitamins, phytosterols, phenolic compounds, carotenoids, tocopherols, tocochromanols, and squalene. In addition to use as a food supplement, kernel oil from Prunus species can be used in the cosmetics industry, plant protection, and many other applications.