Fatty acid spectrum of mediterranean wild cruciferae

Abstract

Seed samples of 54 species of wild Cruciferae were newly collected from natural populations of the west Mediterranean and adjacent areas in a search for "new" oil crops. Oil contents and fatty acid compositions were determined simultaneously by gas liquid chromatography using methyl heptadecanoate as the internal standard. The study revealed large variations in oil content (6-48.8%), oleic acid (5-31.3%), linoleic acid (2-24.8%), linolenic acid (1.7-64.1%), and erucic acid (0-55.1%). Correlation coefficients between component fatty acids inter se and oil content were determined separately for all species, the tribe Brassiceae, and the genus Brassica. The promising species identified are being studied further. © 1978 The American Oil Chemists' Society.