Composition and antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of white apricot almond (Amygdalus communis L.) oil

In order to improve the level of comprehensive utilization and to promote the development of functional products, the chemical composition of white apricot almond oil was analyzed by capillary GC‐MS and interpreted based on the standard mass spectral data, and biological activities were evaluated. Seven components of white apricot almond oil were identified. The scavenging capacity of white apricot almond oil in the superoxide anion radical system and hydroxyl radical system had a good performance. The IC 50 of white apricot almond oil to superoxide anion radical system and hydroxyl radical were 5.8 µg/mL and 0.17 mg/mL, respectively, and were stronger than that of ascorbic acid. In DPPH system, the IC 50 value of white apricot almond oil was 0.2 mg/mL and the IC 50 value of ascorbic acid was 0.07 mg/mL, but within the selected dosage, the highest scavenging capacity of white apricot almond oil was higher than that of ascorbic acid. White apricot almond oil was found to be a more effective antimicrobial agent than grape seed oil, fuji apple seed oil and mulberry seed oil. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of white apricot almond oil ranged from 0.2 to 0.4 mg/mL. The observed biological activities showed that the oil has a good potential for use in the food industry and pharmacy.