EVALUATION OF NUTRITIVE VALUE OF CAMELINA SEED (CAMELINA SATIVA L. CRANTZ)

Abstract

Camelina sativa (L.) Crantz, an oilseed crop that belongs to Brassicaceae family, has gained enormous attention due to its numerous positive characteristics that make it distinctive among oilseed crops. Camelina is very adaptable crop, and it can be cultivated in different environmental regions and lands. Apart from that, its requirements for cultivation are minimal and environmental friendly as it needs low fertilizer, water and require no pesticides/herbicides compared to other oilseeds which makes this crop suitable for growing on less productive soils. The only limitation for camelina cultivation is heavy clay and organic soils. However, it is relatively resistant to drought and cold. Owing to its multiple feed and industrial applications, camelina is being considered a very promising alternative oilseed crop. From the nutritional point of view, it is a valuable source of proteins, fats, fibres, essential polyunsaturated fatty acids, particularly omega-3 fatty acids, tocopherols, phytosterols, and phenolic compounds. In this research, two varieties of camelina seed (NS Zlatka and NS Slatka), registered in Serbia, were evaluated with regard to nutritional properties, which included assessment of chemical and mineral composition, fatty acid and amino acid profile and content of liposolubile vitamins. Microbiological safety was also assessed. It was determined that both camelina seed varieties were characterized by high content of crude protein, fat and fiber (around 27, 38 and 18%, respectively). NS Slatka was characterized by higher content of potassium, calcium, magnesium and iron, but lower level of glucosinolates than NS Zlatka. Both varieties were safe in terms of microbiological parameters although NS Zlatka had two fold higher total bacteria count. Regarding fatty acids, camelina seeds were rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids (57%), of which the most dominant was alpha-linolenic accounting for approximately 37%. Camelina is a rich source of tocopherols, especially γ-tocopherols which was distributed in camelina seeds in the concentration of around 19 mg/100g. Leucine, lysine and valine was the major essential amino acids found in camelina seeds, while glutamic acid, arginine, aspartic acid, proline, and glycine was the most dominant non-essential amino acids. The obtained results pointed out that camelina has a substantial nutritional and functional value indicating that camelina seed and its by-products have enormous potential for the application in food and animal feed industry, whereas the level of antinutritive factors present in camelina should be taken into consideration.