Contents of tocols in different types of dry shell fruits

The aim of this study was to identify all forms of vitamin E in different kinds of dry shell fruits(generally called ‘nuts’) obtained from different sources and to perform their mutual comparison.All tocols were determined by reversed phase HPLC using isocratic elution with fluorescence detection.Almonds were evaluatedasthe most important source of α-tocopherol(average value 1,132mgkg-1),β-tocopherol was present in all samples as a minor component, its maximum content was found in hazelnuts (9.6mgkg-1). γ-Tocopherol was found in all kinds of nuts and the highest content was found in pistachios (584mgkg-1), very high amountof δ-tocopherol wascontained in Brazil nuts (2,298mgkg-1). Tocotrienols were found in a smaller number of nut kinds thantocopherols. α-Tocotrienol was found only in three kinds of nuts -Brazil nuts, which contained the highest amount (399mgkg-1), pine nuts and hazelnuts grown in the Czech Republic, which were analyzed soon after harvest. Similarly, γ-tocotrienol wasdetermined only in four kinds of nuts (pistachios, macadamias, cashewand walnuts grown in the Czech Republic), which were analyzed soon after harvest; the most significant amount was found in pistachios (34.8mgkg-1),β-and γ-tocotrienols were below the detection limit. In the Czech Republic, walnuts and hazelnuts are the most widely cultivated and consumed nuts. While in walnuts the most important form is γ-tocopherol (459±40mgkg-1), in hazelnuts it is α-tocopherol (863±10mgkg-1).