Camelina Seeds Research Articles

Life-cycle energy, GHG and cost comparison of camelina-based biodiesel and biojet fuel

ABSTRACTCamelina (Camelina sativa) can be used to make biodiesel or biojet fuel. This study compares life-cycle energy, environmental impact and economic performance of making biodiesel versus biojet fuel from camelina oil. The data for camelina field production was obtained from a grower in western Washington, USA. Camelina seeds were crushed, and biodiesel and biojet fuel were produced at the University of Idaho's advanced biofuel research lab. Biodiesel was made via a transesterification reaction, and biojet was made using a technology called hydroprocessed renewable jet fuel. This research found that for a base-case scenario, where transportation and fuel additives were not needed, the ratio of energy in produced biofuel to its life-cycle energy was 3.6 for biodiesel and 1.8 for biojet fuel. Biodiesel reduced life-cycle GHG emissions by 69% compared to conventional diesel. In contrast, camelina biojet reduced GHG emissions by 56.6% compared to jet-A fuel. The cost of ingredients and utilities to make biodiesel was US 75¢/L compared to $2.19/L for biojet fuel taking no credit for byproducts. Considering the potential demand for biodiesel, the price of diesel, and price of jet fuel, it was concluded that biojet fuel is unlikely to compete economically with biodiesel in the foreseeable future.

Contribution of Ruminal Fungi, Archaea, Protozoa, and Bacteria to the Methane Suppression Caused by Oilseed Supplemented Diets.

Dietary lipids can suppress methane emission from ruminants, but effects are variable. Especially the role of bacteria, archaea, fungi and protozoa in mediating the lipid effects is unclear. In the present in vitro study, archaea, fungi and protozoa were selectively inhibited by specific agents. This was fully or almost fully successful for fungi and protozoa as well as archaeal activity as determined by the methyl-coenzyme M reductase alpha subunit gene. Five different microbial treatments were generated: rumen fluid being intact (I), without archaea (–A), without fungi (–F), without protozoa (–P) and with bacteria only (–AFP). A forage-concentrate diet given alone or supplemented with crushed full-fat oilseeds of either safflower (Carthamus tinctorius) or poppy (Papaver somniferum) or camelina (Camelina sativa) at 70 g oil kg−1 diet dry matter was incubated. This added up to 20 treatments with six incubation runs per treatment. All oilseeds suppressed methane emission compared to the non-supplemented control. Compared to the non-supplemented control, –F decreased organic matter (OM) degradation, and short-chain fatty acid concentration was greater with camelina and safflower seeds. Methane suppression per OM digested in –F was greater with camelina seeds (−12 vs.−7% with I, P = 0.06), but smaller with poppy seeds (−4 vs. −8% with I, P = 0.03), and not affected with safflower seeds. With –P, camelina seeds decreased the acetate-to-propionate ratio and enhanced the methane suppression per gram dry matter (18 vs. 10% with I, P = 0.08). Hydrogen recovery was improved with –P in any oilseeds compared to non-supplemented control. No methane emission was detected with the –A and –AFP treatments. In conclusion, concerning methanogenesis, camelina seeds seem to exert effects only on archaea and bacteria. By contrast, with safflower and poppy seeds methane was obviously reduced mainly through the interaction with protozoa or archaea associated with protozoa. This demonstrated that the microbial groups differ in their contribution to the methane suppressing effect dependent on the source of lipid. These findings help to understand how lipid supplementation and microbial groups interact, and thus may assist in making this methane mitigation tool more efficient, but await confirmation in vivo.

Organic Agriculture and Innovative Crops under Mediterranean Conditions

Climate change is the greatest environmental threat facing humanity worldwide. Areas of South-East Europe and Mediterranean basin are expected to be among the most vulnerable countries to climate change. As a result of climate change, new species and crops have been introduced and may be introduced in the coming years. In addition, FAO considers that Organic Agriculture is an effective mitigation strategy to climate change and can build robust soils that adapt better to weather extremes associated with climate change. This review provides an overview of the growth performance of new innovative crops, including chia, camelina, quinoa, teff and nigella and retrovative crops such as flax and emmer wheat, based on experimental investigations conducted under Mediterranean conditions and organic cropping system. Several studies, performed under organic system, have proved that innovative crops can also be grown for alternative uses. Quinoa and chia could be successfully used in animal feed. Moreover, quinoa could be exploited as a medicinal plant due to saponins extracted from seed coats. Nigella and camelina seeds contain oils which can have several uses in pharmaceutical and food industries. Flax seed oil is rich in omega-3 fatty acids and can be accepted in the diets designed for specific health benefits. According to the literature, it is observed that innovative crops cultivated under organic system present better quality and similar yields as with those cultivated under conventional system, and in some cases, even higher. Taking all these into account, organic agriculture could also be characterized as innovative and not only as traditional.

Camelina Seed Yield and Fatty Acids as Influenced by Genotype and Environment

Core IdeasGenotype × environment affected camelina seed yield, oil and constituent fatty acids.Blaine Creek produced the greatest seed among the camelina genotypes studied.Camelina grown at Hays, KS, had less yields and oil content compared to Moccasin, MT.Camelina at Moccasin, MT had greater linolenic acid content compared to Hays, KS.Camelina (Camelina sativaL. Crantz) is an alternative oilseed crop with potential for fallow replacement in dryland cereal‐based crop production systems in the semiarid Great Plains. The interaction between genotype and environment was investigated on camelina seed yield, oil content, and fatty acid composition across two locations in the U.S. Great Plains. Treatments were three spring camelina genotypes (cultivars Blaine Creek, Pronghorn, and Shoshone), three growing seasons (2013, 2014, and 2015) and two locations (at Hays, KS, and Moccasin, MT). Results showed camelina grown at Hays yielded 54% less than that at Moccasin. Blaine Creek yielded 17 and 42% more than Pronghorn and Shoshone at Hays but yields were not different among genotypes at Moccasin. Oil content ranged from 262 g kg−1at Hays to 359 g kg−1at Moccasin. The proportion of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) ranged from 51% at Hays to 55% at Moccasin, whereas monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFA) and saturated fatty acid (SFA) contents were greater at Hays. The linolenic acid content ranged from 26% when Pronghorn was planted at Hays to 35% when planted at Moccasin. In general, the variations in seed yield and fatty acid profile corresponded well with growing season precipitation and temperatures at each environment.

Coal-Bed Methane Water: Effects on Soil Properties and Camelina Productivity.

Every year, the production of coal-bed natural gas in the Powder River Basin results in the discharge of large amounts of coal-bed methane water (CBMW) in Wyoming; however, no sustainable disposal methods for CBMW are currently available. A greenhouse study was conducted to evaluate the potential to use CBMW as a source of irrigation water for camelina [ (L.) Crantz]. We assessed the effects of three CBMW concentrations (0% [1:0], 50% [1:1], and 100% [0:1] tap water to CBMW) on selected soil properties, growth, seed oil, and fatty acid composition of three camelina cultivars: Blaine Creek, Ligena, and Pronghorn. The 100% CBMW reduced seed and estimated biofuel yields by 24 and 23%, respectively, but increased the oil content by 3%, relative to the control. Additionally, the 100% CBMW visibly affected soil through formation of surface crust due to elevated levels of sodium (653 mg Na kg). The 50% CBMW had no significant effects on the seed yield, estimated biofuel yield, and oil content, but the soil Na levels were still high (464 mg kg), which could pose a long-term impact on soil structure. The CBMW tended to reduce the total saturated fatty acid, but it had no significant effects on the total monounsaturated or polyunsaturated fatty acids of camelina seeds. Overall, CBMW diluted with an equal amount of good-quality water could be used to irrigate camelina in the short term. Afterward, only good-quality water would have to be used until the accumulated dissolved solids are flushed out.

Rapid Prediction of Camelina Seed Oil Content Using Near-Infrared Spectroscopy

Camelina is a promising feedstock as a result of its ability to provide high-quality edible oil and jet fuel. However, predicting its oil content currently requires time- and labor-intensive analyses. Near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy provides a rapid, low-cost determination approach for oil seed characterization. The objective of this study was to develop a NIR model to predict the camelina oil content using 200 camelina seed simples. Partial least squares (PLS) regression and principal component regression (PCR) were used to compare the performance of calibration models to the full spectra range (4000–1000 cm–1). PLS regression showed better prediction performance than PCR. The optimal model provided excellent fitness, with a R2 of 0.94 and root mean square of prediction error of 0.495%, making the model useful in various applications, including quality assurance and screening. This study confirmed that the NIR method significantly reduces time (from 60 to 1 min) and cost [from 20 to 1 United States doll...

Effect of unconventional oilseeds (safflower, poppy, hemp, camelina) on in vitro ruminal methane production and fermentation.

Dietary supplementation with oilseeds can reduce methane emission in ruminants, but only a few common seeds have been tested so far. This study tested safflower (Carthamus tinctorius), poppy (Papaver somniferum), hemp (Cannabis sativa), and camelina (Camelina sativa) seeds in vitro using coconut (Cocos nucifera) oil and linseed (Linum usitatissimum) as positive controls. All the tested oilseeds suppressed methane yield (mL g-1 dry matter, up to 21%) compared to the non-supplemented control when provided at 70 g oil kg-1 dry matter, and they were as effective as coconut oil. Safflower and hemp were more effective than linseed (21% and 18% vs. 10%), whereas the effects of poppy and camelina were similar to linseed. When methane was related to digestible organic matter, only hemp and safflower seeds and coconut oil were effective compared to the non-supplemented control (up to 11%). The level of methanogenesis and the ratios of either the n-6:n-3 fatty acids or C18:2 :C18:3 in the seed lipids were not related. Unconventional oilseeds widen the spectrum of oilseeds that can be used in dietary methane mitigation. In vivo confirmation of their methane mitigating effect is still needed, and their effects on animal performance still must be determined. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.

A Specialized Diacylglycerol Acyltransferase Contributes to the Extreme Medium-Chain Fatty Acid Content of Cuphea Seed Oil.

Seed oils of many Cuphea sp. contain >90% of medium-chain fatty acids, such as decanoic acid (10:0). These seed oils, which are among the most compositionally variant in the plant kingdom, arise from specialized fatty acid biosynthetic enzymes and specialized acyltransferases. These include lysophosphatidic acid acyltransferases (LPAT) and diacylglycerol acyltransferases (DGAT) that are required for successive acylation of medium-chain fatty acids in the sn-2 and sn-3 positions of seed triacylglycerols (TAGs). Here we report the identification of a cDNA for a DGAT1-type enzyme, designated CpuDGAT1, from the transcriptome of C. avigera var pulcherrima developing seeds. Microsomes of camelina (Camelina sativa) seeds engineered for CpuDGAT1 expression displayed DGAT activity with 10:0-CoA and the diacylglycerol didecanoyl, that was approximately 4-fold higher than that in camelina seed microsomes lacking CpuDGAT1. In addition, coexpression in camelina seeds of CpuDGAT1 with a C. viscosissima FatB thioesterase (CvFatB1) that generates 10:0 resulted in TAGs with nearly 15 mol % of 10:0. More strikingly, expression of CpuDGAT1 and CvFatB1 with the previously described CvLPAT2, a 10:0-CoA-specific Cuphea LPAT, increased 10:0 amounts to 25 mol % in camelina seed TAG. These TAGs contained up to 40 mol % 10:0 in the sn-2 position, nearly double the amounts obtained from coexpression of CvFatB1 and CvLPAT2 alone. Although enriched in diacylglycerol, 10:0 was not detected in phosphatidylcholine in these seeds. These findings are consistent with channeling of 10:0 into TAG through the combined activities of specialized LPAT and DGAT activities and demonstrate the biotechnological use of these enzymes to generate 10:0-rich seed oils.

Accumulation of medium-chain, saturated fatty acyl moieties in seed oils of transgenic Camelina sativa.

With its high seed oil content, the mustard family plant Camelina sativa has gained attention as a potential biofuel source. As a bioenergy crop, camelina has many advantages. It grows on marginal land with low demand for water and fertilizer, has a relatively short life cycle, and is stress tolerant. As most other crop seed oils, camelina seed triacylglycerols (TAGs) consist of mostly long, unsaturated fatty acyl moieties, which is not desirable for biofuel processing. In our efforts to produce shorter, saturated chain fatty acyl moieties in camelina seed oil for conversion to jet fuel, a 12:0-acyl-carrier thioesterase gene, UcFATB1, from California bay (Umbellularia californica Nutt.) was expressed in camelina seeds. Up to 40% of short chain laurate (C12:0) and myristate (C14:0) were present in TAGs of the seed oil of the transgenics. The total oil content and germination rate of the transgenic seeds were not affected. Analysis of positions of these two fatty acyl moieties in TAGs indicated that they were present at the sn-1 and sn-3 positions, but not sn-2, on the TAGs. Suppression of the camelina KASII genes by RNAi constructs led to higher accumulation of palmitate (C16:0), from 7.5% up to 28.5%, and further reduction of longer, unsaturated fatty acids in seed TAGs. Co-transformation of camelina with both constructs resulted in enhanced accumulation of all three medium-chain, saturated fatty acids in camelina seed oils. Our results show that a California bay gene can be successfully used to modify the oil composition in camelina seed and present a new biological alternative for jet fuel production.

Effect of Extraction Method on the Oxidative Stability of Camelina Seed Oil Studied by Differential Scanning Calorimetry.

Camelina seed is a new alternative omega-3 source attracting growing interest. However, it is susceptible to oxidation due to its high omega-3 content. The objective of this study was to improve the oxidative stability of the camelina seed oil at the extraction stage in order to eliminate or minimize the use of additive antioxidants. Camelina seed oil extracts were enriched in terms of natural antioxidants using ethanol-modified supercritical carbon dioxide (SC-CO2 ) extraction. Oxidative stability of the camelina seed oils extracted by ethanol modified SC-CO2 was studied by differential scanning calorimeter (DSC), and compared with cold press, hexane, and SC-CO2 methods. Nonisothermal oxidation kinetics of the oils obtained by different extraction methods were studied by DSC at varying heating rates (2.5, 5, 10, and 15 °C/min). Increasing ethanol level in the ethanol-modified SC-CO2 increased the oxidative stability. Based on oxidation onset temperatures (Ton ), SC-CO2 containing 10% ethanol yielded the most stable oil. Oxidative stability depended on the type and content of the polar fractions, namely, phenolic compounds and phospholipids. Phenolic compounds acted as natural antioxidants, whereas increased phospholipid contents decreased the stability. Study has shown that the oxidative stability of the oils can be improved at the extraction stage and this may eliminate the need for additive antioxidants.

Tailoring the composition of novel wax esters in the seeds of transgenic Camelina sativa through systematic metabolic engineering.

SummaryThe functional characterization of wax biosynthetic enzymes in transgenic plants has opened the possibility of producing tailored wax esters (WEs) in the seeds of a suitable host crop. In this study, in addition to systematically evaluating a panel of WE biosynthetic activities, we have also modulated the acyl‐CoA substrate pool, through the co‐expression of acyl‐ACP thioesterases, to direct the accumulation of medium‐chain fatty acids. Using this combinatorial approach, we determined the additive contribution of both the varied acyl‐CoA pool and biosynthetic enzyme substrate specificity to the accumulation of non‐native WEs in the seeds of transgenic Camelina plants. A total of fourteen constructs were prepared containing selected FAR and WS genes in combination with an acyl‐ACP thioesterase. All enzyme combinations led to the successful production of wax esters, of differing compositions. The impact of acyl‐CoA thioesterase expression on wax ester accumulation varied depending on the substrate specificity of the WS. Hence, co‐expression of acyl‐ACP thioesterases with Marinobacter hydrocarbonoclasticus WS and Marinobacter aquaeolei FAR resulted in the production of WEs with reduced chain lengths, whereas the co‐expression of the same acyl‐ACP thioesterases in combination with Mus musculus WS and M. aquaeolei FAR had little impact on the overall final wax composition. This was despite substantial remodelling of the acyl‐CoA pool, suggesting that these substrates were not efficiently incorporated into WEs. These results indicate that modification of the substrate pool requires careful selection of the WS and FAR activities for the successful high accumulation of these novel wax ester species in Camelina seeds.

Significant enhancement of fatty acid composition in seeds of the allohexaploid, Camelina sativa, using CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing.

SummaryThe CRISPR/Cas9 nuclease system is a powerful and flexible tool for genome editing, and novel applications of this system are being developed rapidly. Here, we used CRISPR/Cas9 to target the FAD2 gene in Arabidopsis thaliana and in the closely related emerging oil seed plant, Camelina sativa, with the goal of improving seed oil composition. We successfully obtained Camelina seeds in which oleic acid content was increased from 16% to over 50% of the fatty acid composition. These increases were associated with significant decreases in the less desirable polyunsaturated fatty acids, linoleic acid (i.e. a decrease from ~16% to <4%) and linolenic acid (a decrease from ~35% to <10%). These changes result in oils that are superior on multiple levels: they are healthier, more oxidatively stable and better suited for production of certain commercial chemicals, including biofuels. As expected, A. thaliana T2 and T3 generation seeds exhibiting these types of altered fatty acid profiles were homozygous for disrupted FAD2 alleles. In the allohexaploid, Camelina, guide RNAs were designed that simultaneously targeted all three homoeologous FAD2 genes. This strategy that significantly enhanced oil composition in T3 and T4 generation Camelina seeds was associated with a combination of germ‐line mutations and somatic cell mutations in FAD2 genes in each of the three Camelina subgenomes.

Effect of incremental amounts of camelina oil on milk fatty acid composition in lactating cows fed diets based on a mixture of grass and red clover silage and concentrates containing camelina expeller

Camelina is an ancient oilseed crop that produces an oil rich in cis-9,cis-12 18:2 (linoleic acid, LA) and cis-9,cis-12,cis-15 18:3 (α-linolenic acid, ALA); however, reports on the use of camelina oil (CO) for ruminants are limited. The present study investigated the effects of incremental CO supplementation on animal performance, milk fatty acid (FA) composition, and milk sensory quality. Eight Finnish Ayrshire cows (91d in milk) were used in replicated 4×4 Latin squares with 21-d periods. Treatments comprised 4 concentrates (12kg/d on an air-dry basis) based on cereals and camelina expeller containing 0 (control), 2, 4, or 6% CO on an air-dry basis. Cows were offered a mixture of grass and red clover silage (RCS; 1:1 on a dry matter basis) ad libitum. Incremental CO supplementation linearly decreased silage and total dry matter intake, and linearly increased LA, ALA, and total FA intake. Treatments had no effect on whole-tract apparent organic matter or fiber digestibility and did not have a major influence on rumen fermentation. Supplements of CO quadratically decreased daily milk and lactose yields and linearly decreased milk protein yield and milk taste panel score from 4.2 to 3.6 [on a scale of 1 (poor) to 5 (excellent)], without altering milk fat yield. Inclusion of CO linearly decreased the proportions of saturated FA synthesized de novo (4:0 to 16:0), without altering milk fat 18:0, cis-9 18:1, LA, and ALA concentrations. Milk fat 18:0 was low (<5g/100g of FA) across all treatments. Increases in CO linearly decreased the proportions of total saturates from 58 to 45g/100g of FA and linearly enriched trans-11 18:1, cis-9,trans-11 18:2, and trans-11,cis-15 18:2 from 5.2, 2.6, and 1.7 to 11, 4.3, and 5.8g/100g of FA, respectively. Furthermore, CO quadratically decreased milk fat trans-10 18:1 and linearly decreased trans-10,cis-12 18:2 concentration. Overall, milk FA composition on all treatments suggested that one or more components in camelina seeds may inhibit the complete reduction of 18-carbon unsaturates in the rumen. In conclusion, CO decreased the secretion of saturated FA in milk and increased those of the trans-11 biohydrogenation pathway or their desaturation products. Despite increasing the intake of 18-carbon unsaturated FA, CO had no effect on the secretions of 18:0, cis-9 18:1, LA, or ALA in milk. Concentrates containing camelina expeller and 2% CO could be used for the commercial production of low-saturated milk from grass- and RCS-based diets without major adverse effects on animal performance.

Metabolite profiling of developing Camelina sativa seeds

Introduction Camelina sativa is a Brassicaceae with interesting agronomic potential and is considered an alternative oilseed crop. Currently, Camelina is grown mainly for its seed, which shows a high oil content with an unusual fatty acid profile particularly rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids. Camelina seeds contain other potentially valuable compounds and their composition is now relatively well described. However, little information is available on the accumulation dynamics of these compounds during seed development.

Proteome rebalancing in transgenic Camelina occurs within the enlarged proteome induced by β-carotene accumulation and storage protein suppression

Oilseed crops are global commodities for their oil and protein seed content. We have engineered the oilseed Camelina sativa to exhibit increased protein content with a slight decrease in oil content. The introduction of a phytoene synthase gene with an RNAi cassette directed to suppress the storage protein 2S albumin resulted in seeds with an 11-24% elevation in overall protein. The phytoene synthase cassette alone produced enhanced β-carotene content of an average 275±6.10μg/g dry seed and an overall altered seed composition of 11% less protein and comparable nontransgenic amounts of both oil and carbohydrates. Stacking an RNAi to suppress the major 2S storage protein resulted in seeds that contain elevated protein and slight decrease in oil and carbohydrate amounts showing that Camelina rebalances its proteome within an enlarged protein content genotype. In both β-carotene enhanced seeds with/without RNAi2S suppression, the seed size was noticeably enlarged compared to nontransgenic counterpart seeds. Metabolic analysis of maturing seeds indicate that the enhanced β-carotene trait had the larger effect than the RNAi2S suppression on the seed metabolome. The use of a GRAS (generally regarded as safe) β-carotene as a visual marker in a floral dip transformation system, such as Camelina, might eliminate the need for costly regulatory and controversial antibiotic resistance markers. β-carotene enhanced RNAi2S suppressed Camelina seeds could be further developed as a rapid heterologous protein production platform in a nonfood crop leveraging its enlarged protein content and visual marker.

Glucosinolate Content of Camelina Genotypes as Affected by Applied Nitrogen and Sulphur

Camelina [Camelina sativa (L.) Crantz] is an alternative oil crop that has potential in aquaculture and food production. However, glucosinolates (GSs) in camelina seed and meal constrain their application in human and animal consumption. Glucosinolates are plant secondary metabolites commonly found in the Brassicaceae family. The aims of this study were to determine whether nitrogen (N) alone or in combination with sulphur (S) application affected GS concentration in camelina seeds, as well as whether different genotypes differed in GS concentrations. Our results showed that the application of 25 kg S ha−1 significantly increased GS content compared with 0 kg S ha−1. Applied N rates were negatively correlated with the amounts of total and individual GSs when no S was applied. The low GS content with high N rates was probably due to a dilution effect of S content. Applied N rates did not affect the amounts of total and individual GSs when 25 kg S ha−1 was applied. Seed protein content was negatively correlated with the total GSs depending on growing season and genotype when no S was applied. The cultivar, Calena, had the highest amount of GSs among five genotypes. The results indicated that GSs in camelina can be manipulated by cultural management practices including N and S application.

Camelina (Camelina sativa (L.) Crantz) oilcake – untapped resource of phenolic compounds

The work includes a comprehensive study of phenolic compounds, their occurrence and identification in the residues after pressing of the oil from camelina seeds of Slovenian origin, i.e. oilcake. In addition, the efficiencies of antioxidant determinations using different methods according to different mechanisms are presented. These data demonstrate that almost all of the phenolic compounds in these seeds remain in the seed oilcake. The following antioxidants were confirmed: sinapine, 4-vinylphenol, 4-vinylguaiacol, 4-vinylsyringol, 4-vinylcatechol, ellagic acid, protocatechuic acid, p-hydroxybenzoic acid, sinapic acid, salicylic acid, catechin, quercetin and quercetin glucoside. The oilcake has high reducing power and radical scavenging activity. Heat treatment of seeds affects the amount of free, soluble and insoluble bound phenolic compounds as well as antioxidant capacity of individual fractions. Potential applications of camelina oilcake in the food industry are further justified by comparisons with other oilcakes and synthetic antioxidant.

Seeding Date Effects on Camelina Seed Yield and Quality Traits

Seeding Date Effects on Camelina Seed Yield and Quality Traits

In Vitro Antimicrobial and Antioxidant Activity of Camelina Seed Extracts as Potential Source of Bioactive Compounds

The antimicrobial efficacy of seed extracts (methanol, ethanol, propanol, acetone and sterile deionized water) of Camelina sativa cv. Calena (EC643910) against different microbial cultures causing infections/diseases was investigated by agar disc diffusion method. Kanamycin (1000 μg/ml) and clotrimazole (100 μg/ml) were used as standard drugs for antibacterial and antifungal assay, respectively. Among all test extracts, methanolic seed extract (Disc 1) showed significant, while ethanolic seed extract (Disc 2) showed intermediate activity against most of the test pathogens. However, no activity was observed in rest of the extracts (Disc 3–10) against all test pathogens. The inhibition zones ranged from 7 to 14 mm for antibacterial and from 9 to 20 mm for antifungal activity, respectively. The total phenol content was observed as 42.9, 23.3, 13.5, 11.3 and 3.4 μmol g/DW in methanolic, ethanolic, propanolic, acetone and sterile deionized water extracts of Camelina, respectively. Likewise, the ascorbate peroxidase activity was observed highest in methanolic extract that was ~2.5, 10.2, 14.3 and 5.7-folds higher as compared to ethanolic, propanolic, acetone and sterile deionized water extracts of Camelina, respectively. Similarly, guaiacol peroxidase activity was also observed highest in methanolic extract as compared to other extracts, which is ~1.9, 7.3, 8 and 6.6-folds higher as compared to ethanolic, propanolic, acetone and sterile deionized water extracts of Camelina, respectively. Therefore, present results clearly speculate that the possibility of using Camelina seed extracts as a potential natural preservative and for the development of future herbal formulations.

Separation of Glucosinolates From Camelina Seed Meal Via Membrane and Acidic Aluminum Oxide Column

Glucosinolates are secondary metabolites, as well as representative bioactive therapeutic small molecules, which are found in Camelina seed meal. In this study, an ultrafiltration (UF) membrane was employed to remove protein after ethanol extraction of glucosinolates. After UF, preparative chromatography, based on acidic aluminum oxide, was used to further purify glucosinolates. The impact of different concentrations of NaCl elution buffer at 0.2, 0.5, and 1.0 mol/L on the recovery of glucosinolates was evaluated. The results indicated that elution with a 1.0 mol/L salt solution recovered 91.0% of glucosinolates from the UF permeate. The glucosinolate yield recovered from the seed meal was 9.52 µmol/g. High-performance liquid chromatography analysis showed that only the major glucosinolates peaks at retention times 13.0, 17.6, and 19.2 min appeared. This result indicated that most impurities of UF permeate were removed after anion exchange. Traditional protein removal methods for recovering glucosinolates, such as using heavy metal salt precipitate, are expensive and environmentally harmful. The glucosinolate separation process described herein can be used as a model process for purifying other natural bioactive chemicals from biofuel processing and other agricultural residues.