Seed nutrients and bioactive compounds of underutilized oil crop Carthamus tinctorius L.

Abstract

Seeds of seven different genotypes of underutilised oil crop Carthamus tinctorius L. (Asteraceae) from alternative oil species collection of the Institute of Field and Vegetable Crops (Novi Sad, Serbia), were analysed for their protein, oil, fatty acids, tocopherols and total phenolics contents, with a view to test their diversity and potential as an alternative source of these valuable compounds. Seeds of the tested safflower genotypes had total protein (determined by Kjeldahl method) content from 11.5 to 16.0%, while total oil content (determined by Soxhlet method) ranged from 16.8 to 24.5% of dry matter, on average. Two main unsaturated fatty acids in safflower seeds, oleic and linoleic acids, represent approximately 90% of the total fatty acid content (determined by gas chromatography). Linoleic acid was the dominant fatty acid in all genotypes (61.2-80.2% of oil), while oleic acid was in a negative correlation with linolenic acid content and ranged from 9.6 to 29.5% of oil. The amount of saturated fatty acids ranged from 5.5 to 6.05% for palmitic, and 2.1 to 3.5% for stearic acid. Safflower seed is a source of α-tocopherol (determined by high performance liquid chromatography method with fluorescence detection) and its amount ranged from 358.8 to 461.8 mg/L of oil. The content of total phenolics (determined spectrophotometrically) ranged from 4.0 to 6.0 mg of gallic acid equivalents/g of dry weight. This comprehensive screening of valuable chemical compounds of safflower seeds shows the importance of this alternative oil seed crop as a good source of important nutrients and bioactive constituents.

Seme sedam različitih genotipova manje gajene biljne vrste Carthamus tinctorius L. (Asteraceae), dela kolekcije alternativnih uljanih vrsta Instituta za ratarstvo i povrtarstvo (Novi Sad, Srbija), je analizirano na sadržaj proteina, ulja, masnih kiselina, tokoferola i ukupnih fenola, kako bi se ispitala njihova raznovrsnost i potencijal upotrebe ove vrste kao alternativnog izvora ovih, značajnih jedinjenja. Sadržaj proteina (određen metodom po Kjeldahl-u) u semenu šafranike bio je od 11.5 do 16.0%, dok je ukupan sadržaj ulja (određen metodom po Soxhlet-u), u proseku bio od 16.8 do 24.5% suve materije. Dominantne nezasićene masne kiseline u semenu šafranike bile su oleinska i linolna kiselina, koje predstavljaju približno 90% ukupnog sadržaja masnih kiselina (određen gasnohromatografski). Najzastupljenija masna kiselina u svim genotipovima je linolna kiselina (61.2-80.2% ulja), dok je oleinska kiselina bila u negativnoj korelaciji sa sadržajem linoleinske kiseline i bila je u rasponu od 9.6 do 29.5% ulja. Količina zasićenih masnih kiselina kretala se u rasponu od 5.5 do 6.05% za palmitinsku i od 2.1 do 3.5% za stearinsku kiselinu. Seme šafranike je značajni izvor α-tokoferola (određen metodom tečne hromatografije visokih performansi sa fluorescencentnim detektorom) i njegova količina se kretala od 358.8 do 461.8 mg/l ulja. Sadržaj ukupnih polifenola varirao je između 4 i 6 mg ekvivalenata galne kiseline/g suve materije. Analiza datih genotipova semena šafranike ukazuje na značaj ove alternativne uljarice kao dobrog izvora važnih hranljivih sastojaka i bioaktivnih jedinjenja.