Almonds are characterized into three flavor phenotypes; non-biter, semi-bitter and bitter. Amygdalin, found only in the kernels of almonds, is a cyanogenic diglucoside responsible for the bitterness. In this study, the amygdalin content of fourteen commercial non-bitter varieties of almonds from four growing regions in California was determined. Solid-phase extraction and ultrahigh-pressure liquid chromatography coupled with electrospray triple-quadrupole mass spectrometry (UHPLC-(ESI)QqQ MS/MS) were used to determine the amygdalin content in the raw almond kernel. The detection limit and quantification limit of the method is &lt; 5 ng/mL allowing for reliable quantification of amygdalin level among non-bitter varieties. The mean amygdalin concentration of each variety was reported between 0.71 mg/kg and 99.89 mg/kg in this study. Results showed that the mean concentration of amygdalin is significantly different (p &lt; 0.001) among the fourteen varieties. The growing region was statistically significant in regard to the amygdalin content in some varieties. These results also indicated that variety of almonds could be classified on the basis of amygdalin level.

Comparison of amygdalin levels in California almond (<i>Prunus dulcis</i>) varietals using UHPLC-(ESI)QqQ MS/MS

253rd National Meeting (2017)

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Comparison of amygdalin levels in California almond (Prunus dulcis) varietals using UHPLC-(ESI)QqQ MS/MS