Red horse-chestnut of Aesculus X Carnea : a new way for health and food design?

Some investigations have been performed about the composition of Aesculus X carnea seeds (Red horse-chestnuts). Different experimental techniques have been used to gain more information on morphological structure and proximate chemical composition of this product. Surface analysis by SEM showed internal typical structure of globular-form bodies, containing starch, lipids, proteins, mineral components and many others species, confined in cell walls and cemented by a gelled hydrocolloid. The most representative data related to the chemical composition of naturally desiccated specimen are as follows: proteins 3.16%; lipids 4.34%; total glucides 15.6%. Obviously, this chemical faces modulate some other undifferentiated chemical parameters, such as Cold Water Solubility (CWS = 53.9%), and Total Inorganic Soluble Salts (TISS = 2.79%). A stringent comparison of the present findings has been made with our previous results obtained by working with the seeds of two Hippocastanaceae parent cultivars.