Comparative Analysis of Phytochemical, Nutritional, and Antioxidant Properties of Almond (Prunus amygdalus) kernel Methanol Extract

This study presents a comparative analysis of the nutritional composition, phytochemical constituents, and antioxidant activities of methanol extracts derived from bitter and sweet almond (Prunus amygdalus) kernels. Both kernel types were subjected to standardized extraction procedures, followed by qualitative phytochemical screening, proximate nutritional analysis, and in vitro antioxidant assays, including DPPH and H2O2 radical scavenging. Results revealed notable differences in the concentration of bioactive compounds such as alkaloids, phenolics, flavonoids and tannins with bitter almond extracts exhibiting higher levels of certain phytochemicals. According to nutritional profile, sweet almonds have a higher carbohydrate content while bitter almonds are higher in proteins and specific micronutrients. Bitter and Sweet almond extracts assays demonstrated that both varieties possess significant radical scavenging abilities, due to the presence of higher phenolic content bitter almond extracts showed slightly superior performance. These results emphasize the different biochemical characteristics of sweet and bitter almonds and their possible uses in nutraceuticals, food, and medicine.