: Food security in arid regions is challenged by climate change and reliance on imported goods, making the valorization of local, drought-tolerant crops a key strategy for sustainability; this study therefore aimed to characterize the physicochemical properties and fatty acid profiles of oils from five local oilseeds—peanut, safflower, rapeseed, soybean, and sunflower—cultivated in the arid El-Oued region of Algeria. Oils were obtained using the Soxhlet extraction method and analyzed for refractive index, acid value, and saponification value according to ISO and AOCS standards, while fatty acid profiles were determined by gas chromatography (GC-FID). The results revealed that peanut exhibited the highest oil yield (45.19 %), and while most oils met key quality standards, safflower and soybean oils showed elevated acid values, indicating a need for optimized post-harvest handling. Distinct fatty acid profiles were identified, with safflower being rich in oleic acid (65.95 %), soybean in linoleic acid (46.79 %), and rapeseed containing a notable amount of α-linolenic acid (9.88 %), resulting in an optimal Omega-6/Omega-3 ratio of 1.97. These findings underscore the high potential of locally adapted oilseeds, particularly peanut for its high yield and rapeseed for its balanced omega fatty acids, to contribute to food security, improved nutrition, and sustainable agricultural systems in arid regions like Algeria
Ahmed Allali, Smail Acila, Intissar Oucif Khaled, Samiha Ben Nacer
Nadjat Gedaeir Ahmed, Hana Djaballah