Quality and chemistry of niger seeds (Guizotia abyssinica) grown in the United States

Abstract

As niger seeds in the USA are imported solely as an ingredient in bird seed, the goal of this research was to find new uses and applications of niger seeds as a potential new industrial crop in the USA. The purpose of this study was to determine the chemistry and quality of niger seeds (Guizotia abyssinica) grown in the USA and compare them with imported seeds from Ethiopia and India. Several parameters were determined in these products (sensory evaluation, moisture content, ash content, crude fats, total protein, fatty acid composition and elemental analysis). Niger seed grown in the USA exhibited the best visual characters (glossiest and darkest brown seeds), with lower levels of moisture and foreign matter. All samples contained high levels of total fats, USA sample 36.6%, while imported seeds varied from 36.5 to 38.2%. USA grown seeds showed higher levels of proteins (28.2%), while imported seeds exhibited lower levels (18.2–26.6%). Fatty acid composition showed that the USA sample was high in linoleic acid (71.3%), one of the imported seeds showed a similar profile (70.9% of linoleic acid). These results demonstrated that niger seeds can be a new source of industrial crops in the USA, as seeds were high in oil with potential applications in dietary supplement and cosmetic industries.