*3.1. Chemical Characterization*

The proximate composition and fatty acid profile for *Rhus coriaria* from Sicily are reported in Tables 1 and 2, respectively.


**Table 1.** Proximate composition of *Rhus coriaria* from Sicily.

ND, not determined.

These results show that sumac represents a source of dietary fiber, which may be useful for relieving gastrointestinal upset [30].

In line with previous studies, fats represent the second most abundant compounds [5,9]. The fatty acid composition is reported in Table 2. As it can be observed, sumac fruits contain 65.09 ± 1.67% of polyunsaturated fatty acids, and the contents of linoleic (omega 6)

and α-linolenic acid (omega 3) are 30.82 ± 1.21% and 1.85 ± 0.07%, respectively. This result confirms that this fruit could represent a source of unsaturated fatty acids, as previously reported [9]. Furthermore, oleic acid is the most abundant fatty acid, representing 31.67 ± 1.29%.


**Table 2.** Fatty acid profile of *Rhus coriaria* from Sicily.

Total phenolic and total anthocyanin contents of *R. coriaria* extract are 71.69 ± 1.23 mg/g as gallic acid equivalent, and 6.71 ± 0.12 mg/g as cyanidin-3-O-glucoside equivalents,respectively. These two classes of compounds in sumac are the principal constituents responsible for its phytochemical activity. *R. coriaria* is, hence, a source of healthy substances and is useful in various fields and applications.

In agreemen<sup>t</sup> with a previous study [31], our results confirm that sumac is a good source of minerals, so it could be a suitable tool to increase dietary mineral intake. As reported in Table 3*, R. coriaria* is mainly rich in potassium, calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus, followed by aluminum, iron, sodium, boron, and zinc.


**Table 3.** Mineral elements (mg/kg) in *Rhus coriaria* fruits powder.

The polyphenolic composition of methanolic sumac extract is reported in Table 4. The total polyphenols account for 71.69 mg/g. The flavonoids and phenols represent 18.48% and 81.52%, respectively. The first component identified was gallic acid, followed by quercetin, methyl digallate, pentagalloyl-hexoside, and kaempferol 3-O-glucoside.
