Affiliation: | (1) Agricultural Research Station, Virginia State University, Box 9061, 23806 Petersburg, VA;(2) Northern Piedmont Agricultural Research and Extension Center, Virginia Tech, 22960 Orange, Virginia |
Abstract: | There is little information available about phytosterols in canola (Brassica napa L.) oil and the effects of genotype and growing locations from Virginia and the mid-Atlantic region of the United States,
a potential area for the establishment of domestic production to provide edible oil. Our objectives were to characterize the
phytosterols, phospholipids, unsaponifiable matter, and FA in oil from Virginia-grown canola. Among 11 canola genotypes grown
at two locations during 1995–1996 significant variations existed for oil content and FA profiles, but not for contents of
phospholipids, unsaponifiable matter, total phytosterols, campesterol, stigmasterol, and β-sitosterol, Total phytosterol content
in the oil of Virginia-grown canola varied from 0.7 to 0.9% with a mean of 0.8%. This concentration compared favorably with
oil from Canadian canola, which typically contains 0.5 to 1.1% total phytosterols. The mean contents of brassicasterol, campesterol,
stigmasterol, β-sitosterol, Δ5-avenasterol, and Δ7-stigmatenol as percentages of total phytosterols in Virginia-grown canola were: 9.7, 32.0, 0.6, 49.3, 4.99, and 3.5%, respectively.
Growing location did not affect phytosterols in Virginia-grown canola oil but had significant effects on contents of phospholipids,
and saturated (myristic, stearic, and arachidic) and unsaturated (palmitoleic, linoleic, linolenic, eicosenoic, and erucic)
FA. |