Fatty acid composition of lipids in pot marigold (Calendula officinalisL.) seed genotypes

Abstract

BackgroundCalendula officinalis L. (pot marigold) is an annual aromatic herb with yellow or golden-orange flowers, native to the Mediterranean climate areas. Their seeds contain significant amounts of oil (around 20%), of which about 60% is calendic acid. For these reasons, in Europe concentrated research efforts have been directed towards the development of pot marigold as an oilseed crop for industrial purposes.ResultsThe oil content and fatty acid composition of major lipid fractions in seeds from eleven genotypes of pot marigold (Calendula officinalis L.) were determined. The lipid content of seeds varied between 13.6 and 21.7 g oil/100 g seeds. The calendic and linoleic acids were the two dominant fatty acids in total lipid (51.4 to 57.6% and 28.5 to 31.9%) and triacylglycerol (45.7 to 54.7% and 22.6 to 29.2%) fractions. Polar lipids were also characterised by higher unsaturation ratios (with the PUFAs content between 60.4 and 66.4%), while saturates (consisted mainly of palmitic and very long-chain saturated fatty acids) were found in higher amounts in sterol esters (ranging between 49.3 and 55.7% of total fatty acids).ConclusionsAll the pot marigold seed oils investigated contain high levels of calendic acid (more than 50% of total fatty acids), making them favorable for industrial use. The compositional differences between the genotypes should be considered when breeding and exploiting the pot marigold seeds for nutraceutical and pharmacological purposes.

Nutritional and chemical characterization of edible petals and corresponding infusions: Valorization as new food ingredients

“…Calendula presented linolenic acid (36.90%) as the main fatty acid, followed by palmitic acid (21.70%), while centaurea presented eicosapentaenoic acid (C20:5n3, 26.93%) as the main fatty acid, followed by linolenic acid (18.75%). The results found for C. officinalis are in accordance with the ones described by Dulf et al (2013) in which PUFA content is around 60-64%, and the saturated fraction is mainly consisted by palmitic acid. The same tendency was not reported by Miguel et al (2016) in calendula samples, that presented a SFA fraction much higher than the PUFA fraction (78% and 21%, respectively).…”

“…In particular, the nutritional and chemical composition of rose (Rosa canina L.) and calendula flowers have already been studied (Barros, Carvalho, & Ferreira, 2011;Miguel et al, 2016), also the fatty acids composition of calendula seeds oils (Dulf, Pamfil, Baciu, & Pintea, 2013) and the crude protein of centaurea (Centaurea cyanus L.) flowers (Rop et al, 2012). Despite the existence of some publications regarding edible flowers, it is important to compare their potential to be used in different forms, namely as fresh produces or in infusion preparations.…”

Structure and cytotoxic activity of sesquiterpene glycoside esters from Calendula officinalis L.: Studies on the conformation of viridiflorol

“…C. officinalis is also being exploited as an industrial crop because of the high content of oil in its seeds (around 20%, of which about 60% is the unusual calendic acid) (Dulf et al, 2013).…”

Influence of nitrogen fertilization on the seed yield and the content and quality of fat in pot marigold (Calendula officinalis L.) cultivars

“…3). Varied levels of fat in pot marigold cultivars were reported by other authors as well [Cromack and Smith 1998, Dulf et al 2013, Król et al 2016. The increasing nitrogen doses led to reduction of the fat content in the seeds of all the cultivars (the mean difference between the control object and the highest dose was 1.9 percentage points) (tab.…”