Evaluation of Chemical Composition of Two Linseed Varieties as Sources of Health-Beneficial Substances
Linseed (<i>Linum usitatissimum</i> L.) is becoming more and more important in the health food market as a functional food, since its seeds and oil represent a rich source of bioactive compounds. Its chemical composition is strongly correlated with, and dependent on, genetic characterist...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2019-10-01
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| Series: | Molecules |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/24/20/3729 |
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| author | Silvia Tavarini Antonella Castagna Giuseppe Conte Lara Foschi Chiara Sanmartin Luca Incrocci Annamaria Ranieri Andrea Serra Luciana G. Angelini |
| author_facet | Silvia Tavarini Antonella Castagna Giuseppe Conte Lara Foschi Chiara Sanmartin Luca Incrocci Annamaria Ranieri Andrea Serra Luciana G. Angelini |
| author_sort | Silvia Tavarini |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Linseed (<i>Linum usitatissimum</i> L.) is becoming more and more important in the health food market as a functional food, since its seeds and oil represent a rich source of bioactive compounds. Its chemical composition is strongly correlated with, and dependent on, genetic characteristics. The aim of this study was to evaluate the variation in seed yield, oil content, fatty acid composition and secondary metabolite profiles between a low-linolenic linseed variety, belonging to the Solin-type group (Solal), and a high-linolenic traditional one (Bethune), cultivated, both as spring crops, in open field conditions of Central Italy. The achieved results pointed out the different behavior of the two varieties in terms of growth cycle, oil content, and some important yield components, such as capsule number per plant and thousand seed weight. There were also significant differences in seed composition regarding total phenols, total flavonoids, antioxidant activities as well as in carotenoid, tocopherol, and tocotrienol profiles between the two varieties. In particular, Solal was characterized by the greatest contents of oil, phenols, flavonoids, α- and δ- tocotrienol, together with the highest antioxidant activity. Bethune, on the contrary, showed the highest amounts of carotenoids (lutein and β-carotene). These results indicate a clear effect of the genetic characteristics on the biosynthesis of these secondary metabolites and, consequently, on the related antioxidant activity. Our findings suggest that the mutation process, responsible for the selection of the low-linolenic cultivar, is able to modify the biosynthetic pathways of carotenoids and phenolics. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-22T05:12:09Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-d205f24207aa49a8aaf83d6e8e88120f |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1420-3049 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-22T05:12:09Z |
| publishDate | 2019-10-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Molecules |
| spelling | doaj.art-d205f24207aa49a8aaf83d6e8e88120f2022-12-21T18:37:57ZengMDPI AGMolecules1420-30492019-10-012420372910.3390/molecules24203729molecules24203729Evaluation of Chemical Composition of Two Linseed Varieties as Sources of Health-Beneficial SubstancesSilvia Tavarini0Antonella Castagna1Giuseppe Conte2Lara Foschi3Chiara Sanmartin4Luca Incrocci5Annamaria Ranieri6Andrea Serra7Luciana G. Angelini8Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment, University of Pisa, 56124 Pisa, ItalyDepartment of Agriculture, Food and Environment, University of Pisa, 56124 Pisa, ItalyDepartment of Agriculture, Food and Environment, University of Pisa, 56124 Pisa, ItalyDepartment of Agriculture, Food and Environment, University of Pisa, 56124 Pisa, ItalyDepartment of Agriculture, Food and Environment, University of Pisa, 56124 Pisa, ItalyDepartment of Agriculture, Food and Environment, University of Pisa, 56124 Pisa, ItalyDepartment of Agriculture, Food and Environment, University of Pisa, 56124 Pisa, ItalyDepartment of Agriculture, Food and Environment, University of Pisa, 56124 Pisa, ItalyDepartment of Agriculture, Food and Environment, University of Pisa, 56124 Pisa, ItalyLinseed (<i>Linum usitatissimum</i> L.) is becoming more and more important in the health food market as a functional food, since its seeds and oil represent a rich source of bioactive compounds. Its chemical composition is strongly correlated with, and dependent on, genetic characteristics. The aim of this study was to evaluate the variation in seed yield, oil content, fatty acid composition and secondary metabolite profiles between a low-linolenic linseed variety, belonging to the Solin-type group (Solal), and a high-linolenic traditional one (Bethune), cultivated, both as spring crops, in open field conditions of Central Italy. The achieved results pointed out the different behavior of the two varieties in terms of growth cycle, oil content, and some important yield components, such as capsule number per plant and thousand seed weight. There were also significant differences in seed composition regarding total phenols, total flavonoids, antioxidant activities as well as in carotenoid, tocopherol, and tocotrienol profiles between the two varieties. In particular, Solal was characterized by the greatest contents of oil, phenols, flavonoids, α- and δ- tocotrienol, together with the highest antioxidant activity. Bethune, on the contrary, showed the highest amounts of carotenoids (lutein and β-carotene). These results indicate a clear effect of the genetic characteristics on the biosynthesis of these secondary metabolites and, consequently, on the related antioxidant activity. Our findings suggest that the mutation process, responsible for the selection of the low-linolenic cultivar, is able to modify the biosynthetic pathways of carotenoids and phenolics.https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/24/20/3729flaxseedoilfatty acidsphenolscarotenoidstocopherolstocotrienolsseed yield |
| spellingShingle | Silvia Tavarini Antonella Castagna Giuseppe Conte Lara Foschi Chiara Sanmartin Luca Incrocci Annamaria Ranieri Andrea Serra Luciana G. Angelini Evaluation of Chemical Composition of Two Linseed Varieties as Sources of Health-Beneficial Substances Molecules flaxseed oil fatty acids phenols carotenoids tocopherols tocotrienols seed yield |
| title | Evaluation of Chemical Composition of Two Linseed Varieties as Sources of Health-Beneficial Substances |
| title_full | Evaluation of Chemical Composition of Two Linseed Varieties as Sources of Health-Beneficial Substances |
| title_fullStr | Evaluation of Chemical Composition of Two Linseed Varieties as Sources of Health-Beneficial Substances |
| title_full_unstemmed | Evaluation of Chemical Composition of Two Linseed Varieties as Sources of Health-Beneficial Substances |
| title_short | Evaluation of Chemical Composition of Two Linseed Varieties as Sources of Health-Beneficial Substances |
| title_sort | evaluation of chemical composition of two linseed varieties as sources of health beneficial substances |
| topic | flaxseed oil fatty acids phenols carotenoids tocopherols tocotrienols seed yield |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/24/20/3729 |
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