*Article* **Nutrient Composition of Di**ff**erent Hazelnut Cultivars Grown in Germany**

**Anke Katharina Müller 1,2 , Ute Helms 2,3, Carsten Rohrer 1,2, Monika Möhler <sup>4</sup> , Frank Hellwig <sup>5</sup> , Michael Glei 2,6 , Tanja Schwerdtle 7,8, Stefan Lorkowski 1,2 and Christine Dawczynski 1,2,3,\***


Received: 27 September 2020; Accepted: 31 October 2020; Published: 3 November 2020

**Abstract:** Hazelnuts are rarely cultivated in Germany, although they are a valuable source for macroand micronutrients and can thus contribute to a healthy diet. Near the present, 15 varieties were cultivated in Thuringia, Germany, as a pilot study for further research. The aim of our study was to evaluate the micro- and macronutrient composition of representative, randomly mixed samples of the 15 different hazelnut cultivars. Protein, fat, and fiber contents were determined using established methods. Fatty acids, tocopherols, minerals, trace elements, and ultra-trace elements were analyzed using gas chromatography, high-performance liquid chromatography, and inductively coupled plasma triple quadrupole mass-spectrometry, respectively. We found that the different hazelnut varieties contained valuable amounts of fat, protein, dietary fiber, minerals, trace elements, and α-tocopherol, however, in different quantities. The variations in nutrient composition were independent of growth conditions, which were identical for all hazelnut varieties. Therefore, each hazelnut cultivar has its specific nutrient profile.

**Keywords:** *Corylus avellana* L.; nutrient composition; hazelnut cultivars; minerals; tocopherols
