Selenium content of Turkish hazelnut varieties: Kara Fındık, Tombul and Delisava

The selenium contents of three different varieties of hazelnut, namely Kara Fındık, Tombul, and Delisava, which are cultivated in Sakarya, Turkey, were studied for variety and geographical region. The hazelnut kernels prepared as hulled (without hull) and unhulled (whole) forms were analysed by using electrothermal atomization atomic absorption spectrometry after solvent extraction. The mean levels of selenium are 0.47, 0.70, 0.36 mg/100 g in unhulled kernels, and 0.95, 1.69, 0.66 mg/100 g in hulled kernels of Kara Fındık, Tombul and Delisava hazelnut varieties, respectively. Selenium compositions of hazelnut varieties showed significant differences from each other by means of geographical region and hulled or unhulled state of hazelnut kernels. It was found that the highest selenium levels were observed in Ferizli district Tombul hulled hazelnut variety whereas in Karasu district lowest selenium contents were obtained in unhulled Kara Fındık and Tombul hazelnut varieties.