Abstract
Seed meals and cakes, deriving from minor oilseed crops, represent interesting co-products for the presence of a high content of proteins and bioactive compounds that could be successfully explored as valuable plant-derived feedstocks for food and non-food purposes. In this contest, flaxseed (Linum usitatissimum L.) and camelina (Camelina sativa (L.) Crantz) are becoming increasingly important in the health food market as functional foods and cosmetic ingredients. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate the effect of genetic characteristics and cultivation sites on the chemical features of seed meals deriving from two flaxseed varieties (Sideral and Buenos Aires) and a camelina cultivar (Italia), cultivated in Central and Northern Italy (Pisa and Bologna). The content of total phenols and flavonoids, seed oil, proteins and fatty acids have been evaluated, together with the chemical profiles of flaxseed and camelina meals. In addition, radical-scavenging activity has been investigated. All the examined seed meals resulted as rich in bioactive compounds. In particular, flaxseed meal is a good source of the lignan secoisolariciresinol diglucoside (SDG) and hydroxycinnamic acid glucosides, while camelina meal contains glucosinolates and quercetin glycosides. Furthermore, all extracts exhibited a very strong radical-scavenging activity, that make these plant-derived products interesting sources for food or cosmetic ingredients with health outcomes.
Highlights
In recent years, new perspectives for oilseed crops have revealed them to be renewable and valuable feedstocks for biorefinery processes, responding to the urgent need to transition toward a circular economy model based on the zero-waste concept [1]
Oilseed meals and cakes, deriving from seed oil extraction, represent interesting co-products due to their high protein content, for the presence of bioactive substances, such as phenolic acids, flavonoids, lignans and other antioxidant compounds [2], which could be used as food additives, supplements or cosmeceutical additives for foods and human health protection
Flaxseed seeds, oil and cake are the richest source of the lignan secoisolariciresinol diglucoside (SDG), a natural cancer chemopreventive agent [8], in form of high molecular oligomers
Summary
New perspectives for oilseed crops have revealed them to be renewable and valuable feedstocks for biorefinery processes, responding to the urgent need to transition toward a circular economy model based on the zero-waste concept [1]. In addition to the main oilseed crops, such as soybean and rapeseed used for food, feed and biofuel production, there is a growing interest in other minor oilseed crops suitable for marginal land, which could have a positive impact on the sustainability and resilience of agroecosystems In this contest, flaxseed (Linum usitatissimum L., family Linaceae) and camelina (Camelina sativa (L.) Crantz, family Brassicaceae) are becoming more and more important in the health food market as a functional food and cosmetic ingredients [3,4]. The presence of eicosenoic acid (11–19%) and tocopherols in relatively large amounts, and the low content of anti-nutritionals such as erucic acid, are additional distinctive differences of camelina in comparison with other commonly used vegetable oils [9,12] All these compounds have antioxidant and free-radical scavenging activities and can play an important role in preventing several human diseases thanks their potential anti-tumoral, antiviral, antibacterial, and anti-mutagenic abilities [13]. The seed yield, oil and protein content and oil yield as well as fatty acid profile, were investigated for all the tested varieties in both environments, providing useful information about camelina and flaxseed yield potential under the climate conditions of Mediterranean region
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