High Erucic Acid Rapeseed Research Articles

Stimulation of microperoxisomal β-oxidation in rat heart by high-fat diets

1. 1. Heart microperoxisomal β-oxidation activity, measured as cyanide-insensitive palmitoyl-CoA-dependent NAD +-reduction, was detected in a microperoxisome-enriched fraction from rat myocardium. The effect on this microperoxisomal β-oxidation of the fatty acid composition of the dietary oils was investigated. 2. 2. Feeding 15% (w/w) high erucic acid rapeseed oil or partially hydrogenated marine oil for 3 weeks increased the microperoxisomal β-oxidation in the heart 4–5-fold, compared to a soybean oil diet. Increasing amounts (5–30%, w/w) of partially hydrogenated marine oil in the diet led to a 3-fold increase in the microperoxisomal β-oxidation capacity at 20% or more of this oil in the diet. 3. 3. The activity of the microperoxisomal marker enzyme catalase followed closely the cyanide-insensitive palmitoyl-CoA-dependent NAD +-reduction, except when feeding more than 20% (w/w) partially hydrogenated marine oil where a significant decrease in the catalase activity was observed. 4. 4. In rapeseed oil-fed animals the extent of increase of microperoxisomal β-oxidation was directly correlated to the amount of erucic acid (22:1, n−9 cis) in the diet. 5. 5. Feeding partially hydrogenated rapeseed oil or partially hydrogenated soybean oil resulted in activities of microperoxisomal β-oxidation significantly lower than in the corresponding unhydrogenated oils. No significant difference could be detected between diets containing hydrogenated or unhydrogenated marine oil. 6. 6. Addition of 5% soybean oil to the essential fatty acid-deficient, partially hydrogenated marine oil diet did not change the effect on the microperoxisomal β-oxidation activity. 7. 7. Clofibrate feeding increased the heart microperoxisomal β-oxidation capacity 2.5-fold, as compared to a standard pelleted diet. 8. 8. These findings are discussed in relation to the transient nature of the cardiac lipidosis observed with animals fed on diets rich in C 22:1 fatty acids. It is concluded that the heart plays an important part in the adaptation process.

Dietary Factors Affecting the Incidence of Dietary Fat-Induced Myocardial Lesions

Histological study of ventricular muscle was conducted on Sprague-Dawley male rats fed diets containing 20% (w/w) of either soybean oil, low erucic acid rapeseed oil or high erucic acid rapeseed oil. Purified diets providing two levels of intake for choline and inositol or magnesium were fed for 16 weeks to determine whether increased intake of these nutrients reduced myocardial lesion incidence. Diets containing high erucic acid rapeseed oil resulted in a high incidence of degenerative focal myocardial lesions, whereas low erucic acid rapeseed oil feeding resulted in less severe cardiopathological changes. Dietary supplementation providing 0.475% (w/w) choline and 0.635% (w/w) inositol reduced incidence of myocardial lesion for both rapeseed oil treatments indicating that lesion incidence may also be altered by the nutrient composition of the purified diet. Nutritional adaptation by increasing the animals dietary fat intake from 6% (w/w) to 20% (w/w) over an 8-week period had no effect on lesion incidence.rat rapeseed oil heart lesion diet

Fuel Characteristics of Vegetable Oil from Oilseed Crops in the Pacific Northwest1

AbstractIn recent years, the agricultural industry has been threatened by the increased costs and limited supplies of petroleum fuels.The purpose of this research was to evaluate vegetable oil from various oilseed crops adapted to the Pacific Northwest as a potential source of liquid fuel for diesel engines. Sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.), oleic and linoleic safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.), and low and high erucic acid rapeseed (Brassica napus L.) oils were evaluated for fatty acid composition, energy content, viscosity, and engine performance in short‐term tests. During 20‐min engine tests power output, fuel economy, and thermal efficiency were compared to diesel fuel. The long‐term effect of using linoleic safflower oil as a fuel was evaluated in a single cylinder diesel engine operated for 830 hours.Vegetable oils contained 94 to 95% of the energy content (KJ/L) of diesel fuel, but were 11.1 to 17.6 times more viscous. Viscosity of the vegetable oils was related to fatty acid chain length and number of unsaturated bonds (R2 = 0.99). During short‐term engine tests, all vegetable oils produced power outputs equivalent to diesel, and had thermal efficiencies 1.8 to 2.8% higher than diesel. After 830 hours of operation, linoleic safflower oil formed extensive carbon deposits in the combustion chamber and exhaust port and heavy gum deposits on the injector and compression rings. The development of an additive package to inhibit carbon and gum formation is essential before pure vegetable oils can be used for long‐term operation of diesel engines.

The DSC thermal analysis of crystallization behavior in high erucic acid rapeseed oil

AbstractDSC isothermal analysis is used to investigate the crystallization behavior of high erucic acid rapeseed oil (HEAR oil) in conjunction with usual cooling and heating methods. The crystallization of HEAR oil is found to be in two stages and which are accounted for by the crystallization of the α form and its transformation to theβ form under isothermal cooling conditions. Theα form is also transformed to theβ form under constant heating rate conditions (10 K/min), but this transformation is governed by the heating rate. The crystallization behavior of HEAR oil appears to be dominated by its characteristic triglyceride structure as the transformation is completely altered by random interesterification. Further, when HEAR oil is blended with SBO, the crystallization is changed as the SBO component is increased.

Mitochondrial-membrane polar-head-group composition is influenced by diet fat.

Male Sprague-Dawley rats were fed diets containing 20% (w/w) soya-bean oil, high-erucic acid rapeseed oil or low-erucic acid rapeseed oil for 0, 12 or 23 days. The type of fat present in the diet had no effect on the total phospholipid content of heart mitochondria (micrograms/mg of protein) but did influence the phospholipid class distribution. Rats fed high-erucic acid rapeseed oil for 12 or 23 days had significantly higher mitochondrial phosphatidylcholine content than rats fed soya-bean oil. Low-erucic acid rapeseed oil resulted in elevation of cardiac mitochondrial cardiolipin content after dietary treatment for 12 days. The results demonstrate in vivo that diet is a significant determinant of the phospholipid class content of subcellular membranes.

Influence d'un entraînement physique prolongé sur la composition en acides gras du tissu adipeux épididymaire et de la carcasse chez le jeune rat soumis à un régime à base d'huile de tournesol, colza ou primor

Weanling SPF male rats were fed for 12 weeks purified diets containing by weight 15 p. 100 sunflower oil, high erucic acid rapeseed oil or low erucic acid rapeseed oil. During the same period of time they were subjected to a moderate treadmill-running program and compared with sedentary animals fed the same diets. At the end of the experiment, epididymal and perirenal adipose tissues were removed and weighed, carcass lipids were extracted and weighed and their fatty acid compositions were determined by GLC on glass capillary columns. Training decreased body weight, fat pad weight and lipid content of the carcass. However the decrease of fat pad weight in response to exercise was more important in the case of perirenal adipose tissue than in that of epididymal adipose tissue. Fatty acid composition was greatly influenced by the nature of the dietary lipids but little affected by training. Palmitic, palmitoleic, oleic, linoleic and eicosenoic acid stores in the epididymal fat of trained rats decreased but not those of stearic, linolenic and erucic acids.

Influence of physical training on the effects of dietary oils on cardiac morphology and phospholipids in rats.

Male wistar rats fed purified diets containing 15% sunflower oil (SF) by weight, high erucic acid rapeseed oil (HEAR) or low erucic acid rapeseed oil (LEAR) for 12 weeks and subjected to a moderate treadmill running program were compared with sedentary animals fed the same diets on the basis of cardiac morphology and complete analysis of cardiac phospholipids. HEAR caused the highest incidence and number of heart lesions both in untrained and trained rats but in the latter there was a highly significant increase of the lesions. LEAR gave a higher incidence of lesions than SF in untrained rats but not in trained ones. If compared to SF, HEAR and LEAR increased cardiac diphosphatidylglycerol (DPG) and sphingomyelin (SM) content (mg/g wet tissue) and decreased phosphatidylcholines (PC) and phosphatidylethanolamines (PE) in untrained rats. Marked changes in the fatty acid pattern of these phospholipids were also observed. PE and PC in trained and untrained rats fed HEAR or LEAR contained elevated levels of C 22:5 (n-3) and C 22:6 (n-3) fatty acids whereas the C 22:4 (n-6) and C 22:6 (n-6) polyenes disappeared. Monoenes (C 18:1, C 20:1 or C 22:1) largely incorporated in DPG of rats fed the cruciferous oils. In SM levels of saturated fatty acids (C 16:0, C 18:0, C 20:0) and of n-9 monoenes (C 18:1, C 20:1, C 22:1, C 24:1) were higher in rats fed HEAR or LEAR than in those feds SF. These changes were mainly related to the high level of n-9 monoenes (oleic, eicosenoic and erucic acids) as well as to the high ratio linolenic/linoleic acid present in cruciferous oils. Physical training interacted with the effects of these dietary oils on the cardiac phospholipid composition. The relation between changes in phospholipid composition and the incidence and the number of cardiac lesions is discussed.

Myocardial ultrastructure of rats fed high and low erucic acid rapeseed oils

Ultrastructural study was conducted on ventricular muscle obtained from male rats of the Sprague-Dawley strain after 18 and 28 weeks of feeding diets containing 20% (w/w) soybean oil, low erucic acid rapeseed oil, or high erucic acid rapeseed oil. Myocardium of the rats fed soybean oil-containing diet was apparently normal despite high content of oil in the diet. Long-term feeding of high erucic acid rapeseed oil resulted in alteration of mitochondrial morphology, disorganization of myofibrils, and degeneration or necrosis of the cardiac muscle fibers. Macrophages were observed near the degenerating muscle cells but these cells did not exhibit accumulation of lipid droplets. Old lesions were characterized by an increase in collagen fibrils. Low erucic acid rapeseed oil induced less severe cardiopathologic changes but the nature of the alterations was similar to that of high erucic acid rapeseed oil. Presence of abnormal mitochondria in the cardiac muscle cells of the rats containing focal myocardial necrosis implies that transitions in mitochondrial structure, composition, and function may be responsible for the development of the focal myocardial lesions in rapeseed oil-fed rats.

Erucic acid-induced alteration of cardiac triglyceride hydrolysis.

AbstractMale Wistar rats were fed for 3 or 10 days with high erucic acid rapeseed oil (HEAR) or trierucate (TE). These diets produced increased myocardial triglyceride (TG) levels. Cardiac lipid accumulation was related to basal‐and hormone‐ (glucagon, norepinephrine) stimulated lipolysis, determined as glycerol release, which proved to be enhanced in isolated, perfused hearts from HEAR‐ and TE‐fed rats. Endogenous TG levels in isolated hearts from rats fed the stock and the sunflowerseed oil (SSO) diet were low and probably rate‐limiting for tissue lipolytic activities. HEAR feeding of rats did not modify the rate of erucic acid (22∶1) oxidation in heart. Prolonged HEAR and TE feeding led to a decrease in the endogenous TG level, a process in which the increased rate of TG hydrolysis might play an important role. The enhanced breakdown of tissue TG in hearts from TE‐and HEAR‐fed rats was accompanied by an increased release of fatty acids into the coronary effluent. Erucic acid was a major constituent of the perfusate fatty acids. Evidence is presented that the site of the intracellular TG breakdown is associated with lysosomes, since a subcellular fraction enriched in acid lipase, N‐acetyl‐β‐glucosaminidase and TG could be isolated from heart homogenates of TE‐fed rats. Fatty acids seemed to be an important regulator of tissue lipase activity: palmitate inhibited glucagon‐stimulated lipolysis, which suggests the tissue lipase is subject to product inhibition by fatty acids.

Effects of High and Low Erucic Acid Rapeseed Oils on Energy Metabolism and Mitochondrial Function of the Chick

Duplicate experiments were conducted to compare energy utilization, growth, cardiac mitochondrial oxidative phosphoryl,tion, and mitochondrial membrane fatty acid composition of chicks fed diets containing 20 parts of high erucic acid rapeseed oil (HER), low erucic acid rapeseed oil (LER) or sunflower seed oil (SFO) for 24 days. Chicks fed diets containing HER deposited less fat and utilized energy less efficiently (kcal gained/kcal consumed) than chicks fed diets containing either LER or SFO. Energetic efficiency and fat deposition of chicks pair-fed diets containing LER were significantly lower than for chicks fed diets containing SFO. Cardiac mitochondria isolated from chicks fed diets containing either HER or LER for 24 days had significantly reduced ADP/O ratios and reduced rates of ATP synthesis utilizing pyruvate and malate as the respiratory substrates when compared with mitochondria isolated from chicks fed SFO. Diet induced transitions in fatty acid composition of cardiac mitochondrial membranes were also observed. The composition of fat ingested affected the fatty acid composition of mitochondrial diphosphatidyl glycerol more than the fatty acid composition of phosphatidyl choline or phosphatidyl ethanolamine. The linoleic acid content of mitochondrial diphosphatidyl glycerol was lower and the gadoleic acid and erucic acid content higher for chicks fed diets containing rapeseed oils than for chicks fed SFO containing diets. These studies indicate that a complex dynamic mechanism exists associating dietary fat with mitochondrial structural-functional changes and energetic efficiency in the growing chick.

Growth, Lipid Metabolism and Pathology of Two Strains of Rats Fed High Fat Diets

Studies were carried out on Sprague-Dawley (SD) and Chester Beatty (CB) rats to determine whether the difference in incidence of myocardial lesions can be related to dietary factors and parameters known to be affected in SD rats fed rapeseed oils. The two strains of young, male rats were fed diets which contained 20% by weight of either corn, LEAR (low erucic acid) or HEAR (high erucic acid rapeseed) oils for a period of up to 16 weeks. A significantly lower incidence of focal myocardial necrosis was observed in CB rats than in SD rats. The incidence of this heart lesion in CB rats was similar between all diets; in SD rats a higher incidence was observed in the groups fed rapeseed oils. In both strains the growth rates of rats fed LEAR and corn oils were similar; growth rates with HEAR oil diets were much lower than the other oils. Severe myocardial lipidosis was only evident in rats fed HEAR oil, but no strain differences were observed. The pattern and extent of lipidosis, including cardiac and hepatic lipid levels and fatty acid compositions, were similar in both strains at the time periods studied. Cardiac triglycerides and free fatty acids increased in rats fed HEAR oil, but no strain differences were evident. Strain differences were found in the levels of a few cardiac phospholipids of rats fed HEAR oil, however, the relative fatty acid compositions of each phospholipid were remarkably similar. Microscopic examination of the livers showed no evidence that feeding rapeseed oil caused any specific effect which could be related to differences in heart lesion response. There was no evidence to indicate that differences in heart lesion response between the two rat strains could be related to cardiac triglycerides, free fatty acids or phospholipids.

Simple model for determining economic feasibility of processing new oilseeds

AbstractA simple model for programming the cost feasibility of processing a new oilseed has been developed that makes use of a programmable calculator. The analysis of cost factors developed in the study provides a realistic measure of the economic feasibility of an oilseed project. By comparing break‐even cost‐to‐make of a new oil with the market price of a competitive oil, a quick indication of the probable success of the project can be estimated. The method is illustrated with a comparison ofCrambe abyssinica seed oil and high erucic acid rapeseed oil.

The effect of dietary erucic acid on cardiac triglycerides and free fatty acid levels in rats.

AbstractMale Sprague‐Dawley rats, 3 weeks of age, were fed semisynthetic diets containing test oils at 20% by weight for 3 days, 1 week, and 16 weeks. The test oils contained up to 22.3% erucic acid. Growth retardation was evident in rats fed rapeseed oil high in erucic acid, and soybean oil and Tower rapeseed oil diets containing about 5% erucic acid. Cardiac triglyceride accumulation was found in rats fed diets containing about 5% erucic acid but not in rats fed Tower rapeseed oil which contains 0.2% of this acid. The cardiac free fatty acid levels were low, 50–100 μg/g of wet heart tissue, and were not affected by feeding diets containing about 5% erucic acid. Feeding a diet containing a high erucic acid rapeseed oil did result in higher free fatty acid levels but only at 3 days and 1 week; the level at 16 weeks was similar to the other oils. The fatty acid analysis of cardiac triglycerides and free fatty acids showed high percentages of erucic acid at 3 days and 1 week; at 16 weeks these levels had declined significantly. The results indicate that the accumulated erucic and eicosenoic acids, at 3 days and 1 week, accounted for the increase in cardiac free fatty acids when rats were fed the high erucic acid rapeseed oil. There appears to be no evidence that the early cardiac triglyceride or free fatty acid accumulation is related to the formation of the long term myocardial lesions.

The Role of Dietary Long Chain Fatty Acids in Mitochondrial Structure and Function. Effects on Rat Cardiac Mitochondrial Respiration

To evaluate the effect of dietary rapeseed oils on cardiac mitochondrial function and metabolic conservation of energy, male weanling rats derived from the Sprague-Dawley strain were fed three rations containing either 15% (w/w) soybean oil, low erucic acid rapeseed oil or a high erucic acid rapeseed oil. Cardiac mitochondria were isolated for measurement of mitochondrial respiratory functions. Pyruvate and malate plus malonate or succinate plus amytal, or alpha-ketoglutarate and malate plus malonate were utilized as substrates for oxidative phosphorylation. Net rates of state 3 oxygen uptake and therefore ATP synthesis were found to decline with chronic feeding of the 15% (w/w) oil containing diets. Significantly reduced ADP/O ratios were observed for groups fed high erucic acid rapeseed oil containing diets for 11 days. Decreased ADP/O ratios were also observed for groups fed high or low erucic acid rapeseed oils for 112 days. When pyruvate and malate plus malonate were utilized as substrates, reduced rates of ATP synthesis were observed after chronic feeding of high erucic acid rapeseed oil diets. Only prolonged feeding of low erucic acid rapeseed oils resulted in significant alterations in the efficiency of oxidative phosphorylation.

The effects of long-chain monoenes on prostaglandin E2 synthesis by rat skin.

AbstractIn order to ascertain whether the dermal lesions observed in male rats fed rapeseed oils are due to impaired prostaglandin biosynthesis, endogenous levels of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) in skin and the capacity of this tissue to synthesize PGE2 from arachidonic acid was investigated. Male Sprague‐Dawley rats were fed from weaning for 8 weeks either a standard rat diet (chow) or semisynthetic diets containing 20% by weight of the following fat sources: corn oil; commercial lard; commercial lard to which was added 5.4% free erucic acid; rendered pig fat; or the following rapeseed oils:Brassica napus var. Zephyr;B. campestris var. Span;B. campestris var. Arlo (15%) and var. Echo (85%) designated HEAR (high erucic acid rapeseed). The long‐chain monoene content (18∶1, 20∶1, and 22∶1) of the diets fed ranged from 30 to 71 mole % and that of skin from 27 to 74 mole %. A significant (P<0.01) correlation was found between the level of 18∶2n−6 in the diet and the endogenous PGE2 levels in skin and the capacity of this tissue to synthesize PGE2. No relationship was found between these two PGE2 parameters and the level of erucic acid in the diet. The rate of turnover of PGE2 appeared to be lower in rats fed rapeseed oil as evidenced by the relatively high endogenous PGE2 levels when these oils were fed (96 to 105 μg/g). On the other hand, the lowest capacity for PGE2 synthesis was found with skin from rats fed Zephyr rapeseed oil, rats which also had the most severe incidence of hair loss and dermal lesions. Significant (P<0.01) negative correlations were observed between the level of monoenes and specifically the level of oleic (18∶1n−9) acid in the diets and PGE2 synthesis capacity of skin, possibly confirming the known inhibitory effect of 18∶1n−9 on the prostaglandin synthesizing enzyme system.

Studies of the Utilization of High and Low Erucic Acid Rapeseed Oils by the Chick

Experiments were conducted to compare energy utilization, growth and tissue composition of chicks fed diets containing 10 or 20 parts of either high erucic acid rapeseed oir 24 days. Results showed that chicks fed diets containing 10 or 20 parts LER grew at the same rate, utilized energy just as efficiently, had similar heart to body weight ratios and levels of heart lipids equal to or less than chicks fed comparable diets containing SFO. The substitution of 10 or 20 parts HER for an equienergetic amount of SFO depressed gorwth, feed consumption and carcass fat deposition but had no effect on level of cardiac lipid or relative heart size when fed from 4 to 11 days of age. When fed from 4 to 25 days of age, chicks fed 20 parts HER grew slower, consumed less feed, and when pairfed, deposited less carcass fat, utilized energy less efficiently, had increased heart to body weight ratios but a lower level of cardiac lipid than chicks fed comparable diets containing SFO. Irrespective of the type of rapeseed oil or of the age of the chick, heart lipids contained less erucic acid than carcass fat, indicating that chick heart is as capable of disposing of erucic acid as carcass tissue. It was also found that irrespective of the diet fed, a greater percentage of erucic acid appeared to be oxidized than of eicosenoic acid.

An Evaluation of the Incidence of Heart Lesions in Rats Fed Rapeseed Oil

Large differences in the incidence of myocardial lesions in rats fed the same basal diet containing one of several vegetable oils can be found in the literature. The incidence was found to range from 0 to 80% for controls, from 10 to 100% for low erucic acid rapeseed oils and from 50 to 100% for high erucic acid rapeseed oils. Much of this variation can be attributed to the small numbers of rats used per treatment. It was evident from this study that caution must be exercised when interpreting the results of experiments involving small numbers of rats. Approximate probabilities for detecting real biological differences in incidence of heart lesions as a function of sample size are given.

Fatty acid composition changes in mitochondrial membranes induced by dietary long chain fatty acids

The cardiopathogenic effects of dietary rapeseed oil have been reviewed [ 11. Fatty infiltration of rat cardiac muscle observed after short periods of high erucic acid rapeseed oil feeding [2,3] may be related to a decreased efficiency of mitochondrial ATP synthesis [4-61. Similar feeding experiments have shown the preferential incorporation of erucic acid into mitochondrial cardiolipin [7], an integral component of cytochrome oxidase [8]. Therefore it is of interest to investigate whether a transition in mitochondrial membrane ,fatty acid composition corresponding to changes in mitochondrial function [6] can be related to rapeseed oil containing diets. Study of the relationship of essential fatty acids to structural and functional properties of biological membranes has been made [9161 but specific roles in mitochondrial membrane functions are not clear. However, it is known that: changes in unsaturated fatty acid composition of essential fatty acid depleted mitochondria significantly influence oscillation period and freedom of spin label motion, properties dependant upon large domains of the mitochondrial membrane [ 151, specific phospholipids are required for catalytic activity of mitochondrial enzymes [ 17191 and in addition, peroxidation of fatty acyl moieties has been correlated with the loss of metabolic function [ 16,201. In the present work changes in the fatty acid composition of cytochrome containing membrane fractions were correlated to diet. Increases in n-9

Mortality and Production Characteristics of Laying Chickens Fed High- and Low-Erucic Acid Rapeseed Oils

Laying pullets were fed a diet supplemented with three percent of either high-erucic acid rapeseed (HEAR) oil or low-erucic acid rapeseed (LEAR) oil for 39 weeks. Egg production for the period was 78.8 and 80.1% by the birds fed the respective oils. Average egg weights were 56.8 and 58.7 g. respectively. Gains in body weight, liver weight and adrenal gland weight were similar with the two types of oil fed. Feed consumption was similar for the two groups of birds. The efficiency of utilization of the diet containing HEAR oil was accordingly lower than that of the diet containing LEAR oil. In the birds fed HEAR and LEAR oil respectively mortality attributed to metabolic disorders of the reproductive system, liver, and kidney was 3.3% and 1.2%. Mortality from other causes in the birds fed the two oils was 3.2 and 3.8% of the original populations.

Development of a low glucosinolate, high erucic acid rapeseed breeding program

AbstractA breeding program to develop a low glucosinolate, high erucic acid rapeseed cultivar was begun in 1969 at Oregon State University. (This was preceded by the agronomic evaluation of rapeseed as a crop in the years 1966–68). The breeding program initiated in 1969 utilized existing stock with previously established desirable agronomic traits. At the same time, increased plantings of seed stock with variable quantities of glucosinolates and erucic acid were established. Work was conducted during the 1969–71 period on 2Brassica species,B. napus andB. campestris. It was known that erucic acid content was governed by 2 genes, displaying no dominance and acting in an additive manner inB. napus, whereas, inB. campestris, erucic acid synthesis was controlled by a single, non‐dominant gene. The acid composition of the oil was controlled by the genotype of the developing embryo seed on F1 plants which constitutes the F2 population. The “half‐seed” technique developed in Canada was found to be a useful tool to identify high erucic acid genotypes 1 generation earlier than if bulk samples were used. The 1969–71 work revolved around certain specific reciprocal crosses between high erucic, low glucosinolate parents within bothB. napus andB. campestris. This method was successful in increasing or maintaining the erucic acid levels in both species, whereas, only limited success had been noted in lowering the glucosinolate levels. Results so far suggest backcrossing as a useful tool in maintaining a low glucosinolate level while increasing the general agronomic desirability of the crop. Several new valuable sources of germ plasm for high erucic acid and low glucosinolate level have been added to the program. Future plans for changes in the approach and breeding procedures to increase erucic acid and lower glucosinolates level are reviewed.