Cultivar and Growing Location Effects on Oil Content and Fatty Acids in Canola Sprouts

Abstract

Although sprouts have played a significant role in human nutrition, there is a lack of information about sprouts made from seed of canola, a new crop in the United States as a source of edible and industrial-use oil. We studied oil content and fatty acid composition in sprouts made from seed of four canola cultivars (Banjo, KS 8200, KS 8227, and Virginia) grown at three locations in Virginia (Orange, Petersburg, and Suffolk) during 2001–2002 and 2002–2003 crop seasons. Canola cultivars exhibited significant effects on contents of oil and all fatty acids except for C20:0, whereas growing locations only affected contents of oil and C22:0, C18:2, and C18:3 fatty acids in the sprouts. The contents of oil and C16:0, C18:0, C20:0 C22:0, C24:0, C16:1, C18:1, C18:2, C18:3, C20:1, C22:1, total saturated, total unsaturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated in canola sprouts were 27.33%, 5.38%, 1.21%, 0.53%, 0.27%, 0.15%, 0.68%, 45.71%, 18.35%, 8.82%, 7.44%, 11.46%, 7.54%, 92.46%, 60.18%, and 27.17% of total fatty acids, respectively. The ratio of C18:2 to C18:3 fatty acids in canola sprouts averaged 1.00 to 2.09 with Virginia cultivar having the highest ratio (2.33) and KS 8227 having the lowest ratio (1.91). These ratios were within the recommended ratios of 1.00 to 4.00 for optimal human nutrition. Our results indicated that, based only on oil and fatty acid contents, canola sprouts may be healthier than alfalfa, brussels sprout, mungbean, and radish sprouts.