Multifaceted Evaluation of Paliurus spina-christi Mill. Plant, Seeds, and Oils: Hydrogen Cyanide, Phytochemical, Bioactive, and Antimicrobial Insights from Türkiye Ecotypes

This investigation comparatively examined the toxicological, chemical, phytochemical, and antimicrobial characteristics of <i>Paliurus spina-christi</i> Mill. seeds and their oils collected over two consecutive years from four distinct locations in Türkiye. In the seeds, HCN levels ranged from 1.11 to 1.43 g/kg and total phenolics from 6.84 to 15.48 mg GAE/g, while quinic, gallic, protocatechlic, and tannic acids, along with cosmosiin, were identified as the main phenolics in the phenolic profile. In the seed oils, α-tocopherol content ranged from 2178.5 to 2528.4 mg/kg, total phenolics from 96.99 to 118.87 mg GAE/g, and antioxidant activity from 0.147 to 0.150 mg TE/g. β-Sitosterol predominated among sterols (61.51-66.51%). Macrominerals P, S, K, and Ca and microminerals Si, Pt, Pd, Ge, and Sn were present in notable amounts. An antimicrobial activity test revealed the bacteriostatic effects of the seed oils. In conclusion, this study elucidates the toxicological, chemical, phytochemical, and antimicrobial attributes of <i>P. spina-christi</i> seeds and oils, showing that the proportions of the identified bioactive components varied according to harvest year and location. Based on this data, it is recommended that further research is conducted in the future regarding the potential use of <i>P. spina-christi</i> seeds/seed oil for human nutrition, in terms of standardization, bioavailability, and clinical validation.