## 2 Results and Discussion  
### Proximate Composition  
Proximate compositions of raw and toasted black cherry seeds, _Prunus dulcis_ (almonds) and _Arachis hypogaea_ (peanuts) are shown in Table 1. There were no significant differences between protein, ash, crude fiber or carbohydrate contents of the raw and roasted seeds, suggesting that the toasting process does not affect the proximate composition. The mean values of protein content were \(37.95\%\pm 0.16\%\) and \(36.55\%\pm 0.22\%\) for raw and toasted seeds, respectively. These values were significantly higher than those of almonds (19.91%), and peanuts (22.82%), whose protein content is consistent with earlier reports [17,18]. _P. serotine_ seeds possess a protein content which is comparable to that of seeds of other _Prunus_ species, including apricots (_P. armeniaca_ L., 37.4%), sweet cherries (_P. avium_ L. 31.7%), sour cherries (_P. cerasus_ L., 31.7%), nectarines (_P. persica ar. nectarina_ ([PERSON]) [PERSON], 38.7%), peaches (_P. persica_ ([PERSON]) [PERSON] var. _persica_, 33.4%), and plums (_P. domestica_ L., 35.9%) [19].  
Lipid content of _P. serotina_ raw (\(40.37\%\pm 0.73\%\)) and toasted seeds (\(39.97\%\pm 0.20\%\)) was not significantly different from that of peanuts (\(41.12\%\pm 1.51\%\)). However, it was significantly lower than almonds lipid content (\(49.64\%\pm 0.42\%\)). It is well known that seed oils are mainly composed by mono- and polyunsaturated fatty acids, thus oleic (\(61\%\)) and linoleic (\(29\%\)) acids are the main fatty acids  
\begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{c c c c c} \hline \hline
**Component** & **Raw Black** & **Toasted Black** & **Almonds** & **Peanuts** \\
**(\% Dry Basis)** & **Cherry Seeds** & **Cherry Seeds** & **A** & **\%** \\ \hline
**Moisture** & \(8.92\pm 0.42\)\({}^{\text{a}}\) & \(10.75\pm 0.35\)\({}^{\text{a}}\) & \(6.08\pm 0.4\)\({}^{\text{b}}\) & \(5.45\pm 0.38\)\({}^{\text{c}}\) \\
**Fat** & \(40.37\pm 0.73\)\({}^{\text{a}}\) & \(39.97\pm 0.20\)\({}^{\text{a}}\) & \(49.64\pm 0.42\)\({}^{\text{b}}\) & \(41.12\pm 1.51\)\({}^{\text{a}}\) \\
**Protein** & \(37.95\pm 0.16\)\({}^{\text{a}}\) & \(36.55\pm 0.22\)\({}^{\text{a}}\) & \(19.91\pm 0.01\)\({}^{\text{b}}\) & \(22.82\pm 0.01\)\({}^{\text{c}}\) \\
**Ash** & \(3.19\pm 0.18\)\({}^{\text{a}}\) & \(2.72\pm 0.21\)\({}^{\text{a}}\) & \(3.18\pm 0.21\)\({}^{\text{a}}\) & \(2.41\pm 0.19\)\({}^{\text{a}}\) \\
**Crude Fiber** & \(10.73\pm 1.49\)\({}^{\text{a}}\) & \(12.12\pm 4.06\)\({}^{\text{a}}\) & \(10.91\pm 1.45\)\({}^{\text{a}}\) & \(9.21\pm 1.59\)\({}^{\text{a}}\) \\
**Carbohydrates** & \(7.76\pm 2.24\)\({}^{\text{a}}\) & \(8.65\pm 4.28\)\({}^{\text{a}}\) & \(10.26\pm 1.98\)\({}^{\text{b}}\) & \(18.95\pm 2.68\)\({}^{\text{c}}\) \\ \hline \hline \end{tabular} Notes: Data are given as mean \(\pm\) standard deviation (\(n=3\) independent experiments performed in different samples). a, b and c: Values in the same row followed by the same superscript letter are not significantly different (\(p>0.05\)).  
\end{table}
Table 1: Proximate composition of raw and toasted black cherry seeds, almond, and peanut.  
contained in almond; oleic acid (81%) is abundant in peanut oil [20], whereas, black cherry seed oil is rich in oleic (35%), linoleic (27%) and \(\alpha\)-eleostearic (27%) acids [10].  
These findings indicate that _P. serotina_ edible seeds are a good source of unsatured fatty acids with potential health benefits [21]. The mean values of ash and crude fiber of raw and toasted _P. serotina_ seeds, almonds and peanuts did not differ significantly. The crude fiber content was similar to that of other seeds and nuts that represent a complementary source of fiber, like hazelnut (9%-13%) or pumpkin seeds (12.1%) [22, 23]. Adequate intake fiber is related to the obesity prevention and better glycemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus [24, 25].