Apricot nutrients, health effects and uses of its waste
What it found
Apricot fruit and kernels contain antioxidants, anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial compounds, and extracts have shown effects against cancer cells and in animals.
The paper also describes uses for apricot waste in food packaging, biofuels and batteries.
What they found
Animal and lab studies
Anti-inflammatory effects
In rats, 70% and 99.9% ethanolic extracts of apricot seeds reduced inflammation in formalin-induced paw edema.
Cancer cell studies
Amygdalin, a compound in apricot kernels, caused changes in human prostate and liver cancer cells grown in the lab that are linked to cell death. A Japanese apricot extract called MK615 also slowed cancer cell growth in lab studies.
Studies in people and animals
Antimicrobial effects
Compounds from Japanese apricot (Prunus mume) inhibited the growth of several food-borne bacteria in lab tests. An extract also reduced Helicobacter pylori in people with chronic gastritis.
Other findings
Nutrients in apricot
Apricots contain sugars, vitamins C, E, B6 and A, and minerals such as potassium, phosphorus, calcium and magnesium. The kernel contains 14.1 to 45.3% protein.
Antioxidants in apricot
Apricots are rich in phenolic compounds and carotenoids, which act as antioxidants. Different varieties have different amounts of these compounds.
Industrial uses of waste
Apricot kernel oil added to chitosan films improved water resistance and antimicrobial properties, and the films stopped fungal growth on bread. Apricot shell waste was used to make hard carbon anodes for sodium-ion batteries, with a capacity of 184 mAh/g over 250 cycles.
What the authors conclude
“In conclusion, apricots have many benefits in the medical field as it contains many antioxidants, anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, hepatoprotective, antimicrobial and antiviral properties that could benefit the medical field.”
Also in their conclusions
- They conclude that apricots have many benefits in the medical field, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, hepatoprotective, antimicrobial and antiviral properties.
- They highlight the significance of apricot and its waste benefits in food packaging, biofuels, and batteries, which are areas that still need the scientific community's attention.
- They advise that researchers should continue to investigate the interactions between the numerous phytochemicals found in apricots and diseases.
How it was done
The authors wanted to fill a gap in knowledge about the key nutrients and chemicals in apricot fruit and how they might help health. They also wanted to look at ways to use apricot waste in industry.
They gathered and summarised published research on apricot nutrients, health effects, and industrial uses of apricot seeds, kernels and shells. The paper does not describe a new experiment.
What it can’t tell you
- Many of the health effects described come from lab tests on cells or from animal studies, so they cannot show what happens in people.
- The paper does not report results from large human trials, so it cannot say whether eating apricots prevents or treats any disease.
- The industrial uses are based on small-scale studies and may not work the same way in large-scale production.
Who paid
- Conflicts
- The authors declare no conflict of interest.
- Authors work at
- Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Saudi Arabia; Muğla Sıtkı Koçman University, Turkey; Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), Malaysia
The paper
- Title
- A Review with Updated Perspectives on Nutritional and Therapeutic Benefits of Apricot and the Industrial Application of Its Underutilized Parts
- Type
- ReviewThe authors read earlier studies and describe what they found. It isn’t a new study.
- Evidence
- Studies in people · animals · lab
- Summarised from
- Full text
- Licence
- CC BY. Words in quotation marks are the authors’; the rest is our summary.
- Cite
- Al-Soufi MH, Alshwyeh HA, Alqahtani H, et al (2022). A Review with Updated Perspectives on Nutritional and Therapeutic Benefits of Apricot and the Industrial Application of Its Underutilized Parts. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland). doi:10.3390/molecules27155016Free full textPubMed 35956966DOI
Summary written 30 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error