SOME COMPOSITIONAL PROPERTIES OF CAMELINA (CAMELINA-SATIVA L CRANTZ) SEEDS AND OILS

Fatty acid profiles (FAP), tocopherol (T), and tocotrienol (T3) contents, total lipid contents, and trypsin inhibitor activity were quantitated from thirteen accessions of camelina (Camelina sativa L. Crantz), a little-known oilseed. Camelina seeds of ten accessions were also assayed for beta-glucans. FAP (%) of camelina oils were: oleic (14.1 to 19.5), linoleic (18.8 to 24.0), linolenic (27.0 to 34.7), eicosenoic (12.0 to 14.9), erucic (0.0 to 4.0), all others (11.8 to 17.4). Camelina oil T and T3 contents (mg/100 g) were: alpha T (0.66 to 2.38), beta T (0.38 to 1.45), gamma T/beta T3 (4.37 to 18.68), delta T (0.00 to 0.48), alpha T3 (0.00 to 0.79), gamma T3 (0.00), gamma T3 (0.00). Total tocols were higher in camelina than in canola, crambe, flax, soybean, and sunflower, with gamma T/beta T3 constituting 82% of total tocols. The oil content of camelina seeds ranged from 29.9 to 38.3%. Camelina seeds did not contain beta-glucans. Trypsin units inhibited ranged from 12 to 28 compared to 111 for raw soybean.