Carinata Seeds Research Articles

Transcriptome Profiling, Physiological and Biochemical Analyses Reveal Comprehensive Insights in Cadmium Stress in Brassica carinata L.

With the constant progress of urbanization and industrialization, cadmium (Cd) has emerged as one of the heavy metals that pollute soil and water. The presence of Cd has a substantial negative impact on the growth and development of both animals and plants. The allotetraploid Brasscia. carinata, an oil crop in the biofuel industry, is known to produce seeds with a high percentage of erucic acid; it is also known for its disease resistance and widespread adaptability. However, there is limited knowledge regarding the tolerance of B. carinata to Cd and its physiological responses and gene expressions under exposure to Cd. Here, we observed that the tested B. carinata exhibited a strong tolerance to Cd (1 mmol/L CdCl2 solution) and exhibited a significant ability to accumulate Cd, particularly in its roots, with concentrations reaching up to 3000 mg/kg. Additionally, we found that the total oil content of B. carinata seeds harvested from the Cd-contaminated soil did not show a significant change, but there were noticeable alterations in certain constituents. The activities of antioxidant enzymes, including catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), and ascorbate peroxidase (APX), were observed to significantly increase after treatment with different concentrations of CdCl2 solutions (0.25 mmol/L, 0.5 mmol/L, and 1 mmol/L CdCl2). This suggests that these antioxidant enzymes work together to enhance Cd tolerance. Comparative transcriptome analysis was conducted to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the shoots and roots of B. carinata when exposed to a 0.25 mmol/L CdCl2 solution for 7 days. A total of 631 DEGs were found in the shoots, while 271 DEGs were found in the roots. It was observed that these selected DEGs, which responded to Cd stress, also showed differential expression after exposure to PbCl2. This suggests that B. carinata may employ a similar molecular mechanism when tolerating these heavy metals. The functional annotation of the DEGs showed enrichment in the categories of 'inorganic ion transport and metabolism' and 'signal transduction mechanisms'. Additionally, the DEGs involved in 'tryptophan metabolism' and 'zeatin biosynthesis' pathways were found to be upregulated in both the shoots and roots of B. carinata, suggesting that the plant can enhance its tolerance to Cd by promoting the biosynthesis of plant hormones. These results highlight the strong Cd tolerance of B. carinata and its potential use as a Cd accumulator. Overall, our study provides valuable insights into the mechanisms underlying heavy metal tolerance in B. carinata.

Evaluating the incentive for soil organic carbon sequestration from carinata production in the Southeast United States

Soil organic carbon (SOC) can be increased by cultivating bioenergy crops to produce low-carbon fuels, improving soil quality and agricultural productivity. This study evaluates the incentives for farmers to sequester SOC by adopting a bioenergy crop, carinata. Two agricultural management scenarios – business as usual (BaU) and a climate-smart (no-till) practice – were simulated using an agent-based modeling approach to account for farmers’ carinata adoption rates within their context of traditional crop rotations, the associated profitability, influences of neighboring farmers, as well as their individual attitudes. Using the state of Georgia, US, as a case study, the results show that farmers allocated 1056 × 103 acres (23.8%; 2.47 acres is equivalent to 1 ha) of farmlands by 2050 at a contract price of $6.5 per bushel of carinata seeds and with an incentive of $50 Mg−1CO2e SOC sequestered under the BaU scenario. In contrast, at the same contract price and SOC incentive rate, farmers allocated 1152 × 103 acres (25.9%) of land under the no-till scenario, while the SOC sequestration was 483.83 × 103 Mg CO2e, which is nearly four times the amount under the BaU scenario. Thus, this study demonstrated combinations of seed prices and SOC incentives that encourage farmers to adopt carinata with climate-smart practices to attain higher SOC sequestration benefits.

Supply chain optimization of sustainable aviation fuel from carinata in the Southeastern United States

Carinata is a purpose-grown oilseed feedstock for renewable fuels, including sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) that can replace conventional aviation fuel (CAF). Given carinata is a new crop in the Southeastern United States, it is crucial to analyze its sustainability from a supply chain perspective. This study developed a mixed-integer linear programming (MILP) model and simulated it for 20 years, starting from a farm (county-level data) and ending at the airport. About 2.06 million ha in Alabama, Florida, and Georgia combined were found suitable for carinata production. Given the three-year rotation period, about 0.69 million hectares can be cultivated annually, approximately 65% of which was in Georgia. About 2.4% of the combined SAF annual demand of four major airports (about 210 thousand t) in the study area is satisfied at that level of carinata cultivation. However, all available SAF was supplied to the Atlanta airport as this decision minimizes the supply chain cost. A total of 1343 storage units, one oil extraction mill, and one biorefinery were needed to meet the overall demand. We found that SW Georgia is the top supplier of carinata seeds. The unit cost of production and carbon intensity were estimated to be $0.89 L-1 (or $26.79 GJ−1) and 0.91 kg CO2e L−1 (or 27.28 kg CO2e GJ−1), respectively. This carbon intensity of carinata-based SAF was 67.8% lower than that of CAF. With variations included in SAF demand, yield, and soil carbon sequestration, carbon savings remained between 66.5% and 67.8%. Given the GHG advantage of SAF over CAF, there is justification for subsidies required to make SAF competitive.

Steam pressure induced changes in carbohydrate molecular structures, chemical profile and in vitro fermentation characteristics of seeds from new Brassica carinata lines

Recently, new lines of Brassica carinata with high oil and erucic acid contents in their seeds have been developed for bio-fuel industry. The co-product after oil extraction, carinata meal, is high in crude protein (CP) and low in neutral detergent fiber (NDF) content, and can be used as feed ingredient in ruminant rations after processing such as steam pressure heating. However, the effects of steam pressure on the molecular structures, nutritional and metabolic characteristics of carinata meal produced from newly developed Brassica carinata lines has not been investigated. The objectives of this study were to investigate effects of steam pressure heating, autoclaving, at 121 °C for 0, 30, 60 and 90 min on changes in carbohydrate chemical profile, the Cornell Net Carbohydrate and Protein System (CNCPS) carbohydrate subfractions, ruminal fermentation characteristics and gas production (GP; in vitro) in relation to changes in carbohydrate molecular structure, of the newly develop Brassica carinata seeds. Except total carbohydrates, steam pressure heating altered (P < 0.05) all measured carbohydrate chemical components and CNCPS subfractions. The contents of neutral detergent fiber (aNDF), acid detergent fiber (ADF), acid detergent lignin (ADL), cellulose and soluble fiber (subfraction CB2) increased (P < 0.01) with increasing duration of steam pressure heating from 0 to 90 min in linear fashions. Whereas, the contents of sugar (fraction CA4), non-fibrous carbohydrate (NFC) and digestible fiber (fraction CB3) decreased (P < 0.05) linearly. Compared to raw seeds, the indigestible fiber subfraction increased (P = 0.001) with steam pressure heating (30−90 min). On average, the heated seeds had lower (P < 0.05) values of theoretically maximum GP (44 vs. 56.5 mL), dry matter digestibility (644 vs 559 g/ kg), and crude protein digestibility (886 vs 645 g/kg) after 48 h fermentation. The largest decrease in theoretically maximum GP (31 %), dry matter digestibility (57 %) and crude protein digestibility (35 %) after 48 h incubation was recorded for the 60 min steam pressure heating. As compared to raw seeds, the heated seeds produced higher (P = 0.01) content of acetate and lower (P ≤ 0.01) content of ammonia, isobutyrate and valerate after 24 h of fermentation. These heat-induced changes in chemical profile and ruminal fermentation characteristics were strongly correlated with the changes in inherent molecular structures of carbohydrates, particularly, with peak areas of structural carbohydrates and cellulosic compounds.

Biochemical conversion of Brassicacarinata biomass to organic acids

AbstractThe economics of the inedible oilseed crop Brassica carinata as a source of renewable fuels can be enhanced by converting its cellulosic biomass to value‐added chemicals, such as organic acids. We investigated the biochemical conversion of carinata biomass to propionic acid by first pretreating the carinata meal (CM), which is obtained after extraction of the oil from carinata seeds, with concentrated phosphoric acid to remove hemicellulose and gain access to the cellulose constituent of the meal. We then subjected the pretreated meal to enzymatic hydrolysis with cellulase enzyme to depolymerize cellulose to glucose. The overall conversion of carinata cellulose to glucose was 85%, which is promising. Finally, the recovered glucose was successfully fermented primarily to propionic acid using the bacterium Propionibacterium freudenreichii with a yield of 0.57 g of produced propionic acid per gram of consumed cellulosic glucose. The biobased propionic acid and other co‐produced organic acids can serve as renewable building blocks for manufacturing industrial chemicals and food preservatives replacing fossil‐derived organic acids. Hence, CM constitutes a renewable source of fermentable carbohydrates potentially improving the economics and sustainability of the carinata value chain.

Economics of intercropping loblolly pine and oilseed crops for bio-jet fuel production in the Southern United States

Currently, there are 13.9 million hectares of loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) in the Southern United States. Reforested hectares could be used for intercropping oilseed crops such as carinata (Brassica carinata) and white lupin (Lupinus albus L.). The oil obtained from these crops could be used for bio-jet fuel production to reduce the carbon footprint of the aviation sector. This study determines the profitability for three scenarios: loblolly pine with no intercropping (baseline), loblolly pine with carinata (once every three years), and loblolly pine with carinata and white lupin rotated annually. We ascertained the land expectation value (LEV) for three site indices of 15.3 m, 18.3 m, and 21.3 m. Carinata and white lupin were planted during the initial eight, seven, and six years for site indices 15.3 m, 18.3 m, and 21.3 m, respectively. Sensitivity and risk analyses were undertaken for determining the influence of input variables on LEVs and the probability of loss for intercropping production systems relative to a baseline production system, respectively. For site index 21.3 m, the LEV of loblolly pine with no intercropping was $2816/ha at a 21-years rotation period. Intercropping with carinata only and both carinata and white lupin yielded LEVs of $3346/ha and $3607/ha at a 21-years rotation period, respectively. The LEVs of production systems were sensitive to interest rate, price, and yield of carinata seeds. The intercropping approach had > 50% probability of being less profitable than loblolly pine alone in over half of the scenarios considered. Future research should focus on the impacts of intercropping on loblolly pine yield and adoption behavior of forest landowners.

In vitro Antioxidant and in vivo Wound Healing Activities of the 80% Methanol Extract and Solvent Fractions of Seeds of Brassica carinata A. Braun (Brassicaceae) in Mice.

BackgroundBrassica carinata is one of the traditional medicinal plants used in Ethiopia for the treatment of wounds and other diseases. However, the plant has not been scientifically validated, and thus the present study evaluated the in vitro anti-oxidant and the in vivo wound healing activity of the crude extract and solvent fractions of B. carinata seeds in mice.Materials and MethodsThe crude extract was prepared by maceration using 80% methanol and formulated as 5% and 10% w/w ointments for topical application. The acute dermal toxicity was performed in female albino rats based on Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) guideline number 434. Excision and incision wound healing models were used to evaluate the wound healing activities of crude extract and solvent fractions ointments in mice. Wound healing parameters such as wound area contraction and the period of epithelialization were determined in an excision model, whereas tensile strength was determined in an incision model. Moreover, the crude extract and solvent fractions were evaluated for the free radical scavenging activities in DPPH assay.ResultsThe acute dermal toxicity test showed that a limit dose of 2,000 mg/kg of 10% w/w crude extract ointment did not cause dermal toxicity in mice. In the excision wound model, the data revealed that 10% w/w ointment exhibited a significant wound contraction (from day 6 to 16, P<0.001) effect with a significant decrease in epithelization period (at day 14, P<0.001). In addition, 5% ointment of the crude extract showed a significant effect in wound contraction (from day 8 onwards, P<0.01) and epithelization period (at day 16, P<0.01). Despite all fractions being shown to promote wound healing, 10% w/w aqueous and ethyl acetate fractions showed a significant wound contraction (P<0.001) effect starting from the 4th day onwards. Besides, the maximum antioxidant activity was seen in the aqueous fraction with an IC50 value of 3.45±0.12 mg/mL.ConclusionThe present study demonstrated that the 80% methanol extract and solvent fractions of the seeds of B.carinata possess potential wound healing and anti-oxidant effects, supporting the traditional use of the plant for wound management.

Novel Use of Ultra-Resolution Synchrotron Vibrational Micropectroscopy (SR-FT/vIMS) to Assess Carinata and Canola oilseed tissues within Cellular and Subcellular Dimensions.

The study was conducted to: (1) apply advanced synchrotron radiation-based technique-SR-FT/vIMS to detect chemical profiles that are related to protein and carbohydrate biopolymers, (2) quantify the relationship between spectral features and nutrient utilization and bioavailability of newly developed carinata and canola seed lines. The molecular spectral features of these seed lines were analyzed using SR-FT/vIMS with both univariate and multivariate spectral analysis techniques. The results showed that the inherent structural characteristics of new carinata and new canola seeds could be detected by SR-FT/vIMS. The univariate molecular spectral analysis showed differences in absorption intensities (peak heights and areas) of functional groups related to protein and carbohydrate molecular structures, while multivariate molecular spectral analysis without any spectral parameterization results showed similar protein and carbohydrate structure between new carinata and new canola seeds. Based on both, univariate and multivariate analysis, there were some differences between carinata seeds and canola seeds in protein and Carbohydrate (CHO) structure spectral characteristics, but these differences were not distinguishable in CLA and PCA plots regardless the color seed coat when using original spectral without spectral parameterization. Protein and carbohydrate structural variables could be used as predictors of rumen protein degradation kinetics, protein intestinal digestion features and protein supply for dairy cows. The CHO molecular structure showed great correlation with rumen protein degradation, intestinal protein digestion and predicted true protein supply of the newly developed carinata and canola lines.

Biodegradation characteristics and nutrient availability of newly developed carinata seeds in comparison with canola seeds in dairy cattle

This study aimed to investigate physiochemical and nutritional characteristics of newly developed yellow and brown carinata seeds in comparison with newly developed yellow and brown canola seeds provided by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (Saskatchewan, Canada), and commercial canola seeds (COMM) accounting 4 new lines and 1 commercial line. Each line obtained from two different sources was used to determine dry matter (DM), crude protein (CP), ether extract (EE), NDF, ADF and non-fibre carbohydrate (NFC). The CNCPS was used to predict rumen degraded and undegraded organic matter (OM), CP and NDF, the in situ degradation and intestinal digestibility of the nutrients were determined in order to establish the nutritional values of carinata and canola seeds for dairy cattle. The results showed that CP and NPN contents were greater (P < 0.05), while EE, NDF, ADF and ADL were lower (P < 0.05) for carinata than canola seeds. Total glucosinolates were greater (P < 0.01) in carinata than canola seeds. The digestible energy at a production level (DEp3x) and metabolizable energy at a production level (MEp3x) were lower (P < 0.05) for carinata than canola seeds. Carinata showed greatest rumen undegraded protein (RUP) and effective degradability (ED) of OM and CP. Considering seed coat color, yellow carinata seed had higher EDCP (232 g/kg DM) than brown carinata (191 g/kg DM). Higher truly absorbed rumen-synthesised microbial protein in small intestine (AMCP) was obtained for carinata seeds, while truly absorbed rumen-undegraded feed protein in small intestine (ARUP) was similar between carinata and canola seeds, but lower for commercial canola. Metabolizable protein (MP) was greater for carinata (137 g/kg DM) than canola (125 g/kg DM) and commercial (116 g/kg DM) regardless seed coat color. Carinata seeds showed higher feed milk value (FMV) (2.8 kg milk/kg feed) than canola (new and commercial) seeds. There was no effect of seed coat color (P > 0.05) on ARUP, MP and FMV, but yellow seed showed greater EE content than brown seeds (P = 0.20). In conclusion, newly developed carinata seeds showed higher CP and glucosinolates, but lower EE and fibre contents comparing to canola (new and commercial) seeds. Carinata seeds could be considered as a ruminant feed due to higher CP, energy, digested protein supply, AMCP, MP and FMV.

Implication of modified molecular structure of lipid through heat-related process to fatty acids supply in Brassica carinata seed

This study was conducted to explore the effect of different autoclave heating times (30, 60 and 90min) on fatty acids supply and molecular stability in Brassica carinata seed. Multivariate spectral analyses and correlation analyses were also carried out in our study. The results showed that autoclaving treatments significantly decreased the total fatty acids content in a linear fashion in B. carinata seed as heating time increased. Reduced concentrations were also observed in C18:3n3, C20:1, C22:1n9, monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA), polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), omega 3 (ω-3) and 9 (ω-9) fatty acids. Correspondingly, the heated seeds showed dramatic reductions in all the peak intensities within lipid-related spectral regions. Results from agglomerative hierarchical cluster analysis (AHCA) and principal component analysis (PCA) indicated that the raw oilseed had completely different structural make-up from the autoclaved seeds in both CH3 and CH2 asymmetric and symmetric stretching region (ca. 2999–2800cm−1) and lipid ester CO carbonyl region (ca. 1787–1706cm−1). However, the oilseeds heated for 30, 60 and 90min were not grouped into separate classes or ellipses in all the lipid-related regions, indicating that there still exhibited similarities in lipid biopolymer conformations among autoclaved B. carinata seeds. Moreover, strong correlations between spectral information and fatty acid compositions observed in our study could imply that lipid-related spectral parameters might have a potential to predict some fatty acids content in oilseed samples, i.e. B. carinata. However, more data from large sample size and diverse range would be necessary and helpful to draw up a final conclusion.

Detect changes in lipid-related structure of brown- and yellow-seeded Brassica Carinata seed during rumen fermentation in relation to basic chemical profile using ATR-FT/IR molecular spectroscopy with chemometrics

In this experiment, brown- and yellow-seeded Brassica carinata were selected to use as a model to investigate whether there were any changes in lipid-related structure make-up (including CH3 and CH2 asymmetric and symmetric stretching bands ca. 3010–2765cm−1, unsaturated lipid band ca. 3043–2987cm−1 and carbonyl CO ester band ca. 1789–1701cm−1) of oilseed tissue during rumen in situ incubation using attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FT/IR). Correlations of lipid spectral characteristics with basic chemical profile and multivariate analyses for clarifying structural differences within lipid regions between two carinata seeds were also measured. The results showed that most spectral parameters in both carinata seeds were reduced as incubation time increased. However, the extent of changes in peak intensity of carbonyl CO ester group of brown-seeded carinata was not in fully accordance with that of yellow-seeded carinata. Additionally, these lipid structure features were highly correlated with the concentrations of OM (positively), CP (positively), NDF (negatively) and EE (positively) in carinata seeds after 0, 12, 24 and 48h of incubation. Based on the results from multivariate analyses, neither AHCA nor PCA could produce any distinctions in rumen residues between brown- and yellow-seeded carinata in spectra at lipid regions. It was concluded that besides for original feed samples, spectroscopic technique of ATR-FT/IR could also be used for rumen degradation residues in detecting changes in lipid-related molecular structure make-up. Further studies are needed to explore more details in lipid metabolism during ruminal fermentation with the combined consideration on both metabolic basis and molecular structural basis.

Interactive association between biopolymers and biofunctions in carinata seeds as energy feedstock and their coproducts (carinata meal) from biofuel and bio-oil processing before and after biodegradation: current advanced molecular spectroscopic investigations.

Recent advances in biofuel and bio-oil processing technology require huge supplies of energy feedstocks for processing. Very recently, new carinata seeds have been developed as energy feedstocks for biofuel and bio-oil production. The processing results in a large amount of coproducts, which are carinata meal. To date, there is no systematic study on interactive association between biopolymers and biofunctions in carinata seed as energy feedstocks for biofuel and bioethanol processing and their processing coproducts (carinata meal). Molecular spectroscopy with synchrotron and globar sources is a rapid and noninvasive analytical technique and is able to investigate molecular structure conformation in relation to biopolymer functions and bioavailability. However, to date, these techniques are seldom used in biofuel and bioethanol processing in other research laboratories. This paper aims to provide research progress and updates with molecular spectroscopy on the energy feedstock (carinata seed) and coproducts (carinata meal) from biofuel and bioethanol processing and show how to use these molecular techniques to study the interactive association between biopolymers and biofunctions in the energy feedstocks and their coproducts (carinata meal) from biofuel and bio-oil processing before and after biodegradation.

Studies on Brassica carinata Seed. 1. Protein Molecular Structure in Relation to Protein Nutritive Values and Metabolic Characteristics

The objectives of this study were to investigate (1) the protein chemical profile, (2) the protein subfractions partitioned by the Cornell Net Carbohydrate and Protein System (CNCPS), (3) the rumen crude protein (CP) degradation kinetics, (4) the protein supply predicted by the DVE/OEB system, (5) the protein structural features using a Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopic technique with attenuated total reflectance (ATR), and (6) the correlations between protein intrinsic structural features and nutritional profiles in three strains of Brassica carinata in yellow and brown seed coats, with comparison to canola seed as a reference. The results showed that carinata seed strains were different in both nutritional values and IR absorbance within the protein spectral region (ca. 1720-1482 cm(-1)). The comparison between yellow and brown B. carinata seeds indicated that the former was lower in acid detergent insoluble crude protein (ADICP; P = 0.002) and undegradable protein fraction (PC; P = 0.002) and greater in the degradable (D) fraction (P = 0.004) and true absorbed protein in the small intestine (DVE; P = 0.02) as well as feed milk value (FMV; P = 0.02) than the latter. The brown canola seed (Brassica napus L.) was also not in full accordance with B. carinata seed on these parameters. The FTIR studies showed significant differences in protein amide II peak height, amide I peak area, and β-sheet height among different B. carinata strains. However, multivariate spectral analyses indicated a similarity in protein structural makeup in these four kinds of oilseed. The not very strong correlations shown in this study implied that the limited sample size and narrow range in biological and spectral variation might be responses for the weak relationships between chemical profile and mid-IR spectral data. Further studies using sufficient samples with wide and diverse range in nutritional properties are needed to illustrate the actual relationship between spectroscopic data and nutritional profiles in oilseeds.

Potentials and feasibility assessment of small scale CHP plants fired by energy crops in Puglia region (Italy)

The proposed work aims to assess the energy crop suitability of Puglia Region (Southern Italy), the techno-economic feasibility of small scale CHP plants fired by energy crops, and the environmental performances of the proposed CHP plants. In the first part of the work, a GIS model is defined and applied to evaluate the land suitability for energy crops in the Puglia region. In the second part, a financial appraisal of small scale CHP plants under Italian legislative framework (feed in tariffs) is proposed; the two case studies of bio-oil fired internal combustion engine (ICE) coupled to vegetable oil mill plant and fed by oil seeds (brassica carinata seeds) and syngas fired engine coupled to a pellet production unit and fed by herbaceous energy crops bales (fibre sorghum) are investigated. In the third part, the energy balance and the CO2 emissions of the whole bioenergy routes are assessed, in order to calculate the costs for the community (in terms of subsidies) to save a tons oil equivalent (TOE) of primary energy and to avoid a tCO2 in the atmosphere by these small scale routes. The results report a potential in Puglia Region of about 293 and 729 kt y−1 of brassica carinata seeds and fibre sorghum bales, respectively; the financial appraisal of the proposed chains, under the Italian legislative framework, reports an internal rate of return (IRR) of 38% and 17%, respectively, while the energy balance assessment reports an overall efficiency of the bioenergy routes of 2.72 and 2.95, respectively.

Hairpin-RNA mediated silencing of endogenous FAD2 gene combined with heterologous expression of Crambe abyssinica FAE gene causes an increase in the level of erucic acid in transgenic Brassica carinata seeds

The 3′-UTR of the FAD2 gene from Brassica carinata was cloned by PCR and used to prepare an intron-spliced hairpin RNA (ihpRNA) construct. Compared to that of the wild type (WT) background, this construct, when expressed in B. carinata, resulted in a high degree of FAD2 gene silencing accompanied by strong increases of up to 16 and 10% in oleic acid and erucic acid proportions, respectively. The increase in 18:1 was accompanied by a concomitant proportional reduction in 18:2. A second construct containing ihpRNA targeted to the endogenous FAD2 gene in addition to the heterologous Crambe abyssinica FAE gene under the control of seed specific napin promoter, was used to transform B. carinata. This approach resulted in an even greater increase in erucic acid proportions, by up to 16% in T1 segregating seeds as compared to that of the WT control. To our knowledge, this is currently the highest accumulation of erucic acid achieved in B. carinata seeds using transgenic approaches, making it an increasingly-attractive alternative to high erucic B. napus cultivars as an industrial oil crop.

Brassica carinata as an alternative oil crop for the production of biodiesel in Italy: agronomic evaluation, fuel production by transesterification and characterization

Abstract In this study, the non-food use of Brassica carinata oil for biodiesel production was investigated. B. carinata, a native plant of the Ethiopian highlands widely used as food by the Ethiopians, has recently become object of increasing interest. This is due to its better agronomic performances in areas such as Spain, California and Italy that are characterized by unfavorable environmental conditions for the cultivation of Brassica napus (by far the most common rapeseed cultivated in continental Europe). The agronomic performance and the energetic balance described here confirmed that B. carinata adapted better and was more productive both in adverse conditions (clay- and sandy-type soils and in semi-arid temperate climate) and under low cropping system when compared with B. napus. The biodiesel, produced by transesterification of the oil extracted from the B. carinata seeds, displayed physical–chemical properties suitable for the use as diesel car fuel. A comparison of the performance of B. carinata oil-derived biodiesel with a commercial biodiesel and petroleum diesel fuel was conducted as regards engine performance, regulated and unregulated exhaust emissions. These results make B. carinata a promising oil feedstock for cultivation in coastal areas of central-southern Italy, where it is more difficult to achieve the productivity potentials of B. napus, and could offer the possibility of exploiting the Mediterranean marginal areas for energetic purposes.