Physicochemical Properties of Garden Cress (Lepidium sativum L.) Seed Oil

Abstract

Garden cress (Lepidium sativum L.) is an edible, underutilised herb, grown mainly for its seeds in India. Physicochemical properties, minor components (unsaponifiable matter, tocopherols, carotenoids), fatty acid composition and storage stability of garden cress seed oil (GCO) were studied. Cold press, solvent and supercritical CO 2 extraction methods were employed to extract the oil. The total oil content of garden cress (GC) seeds was 21.54, 18.15 and 12.60% respectively by solvent, supercritical CO 2 and cold press methods. The physical properties of GCO extracted by the above methods were similar in terms of refractive index, specific gravity and viscosity. However, cold pressed oil showed low PV and FFA compared to the oil extracted by other methods. a-Linolenic acid (34%) was the major fatty acid in GCO followed by oleic (22%), linoleic (11.8%), eicosanoic (12%), palmitic (10.1%) erucic (4.4%), arachidic (3.4%) and stearic acids (2.9%). Oleic acid (39.9%) and a-linolenic acid (42.1%) were the predominant fatty acids at the sn-2 position. The total tocopherol and carotenoid content of GCO was 327.42 and 1.0 lmol/100 g oil, respectively. The oil was stable up to 4 months at 4°C. Tocopherol and BHT offered the least protection, while ascorbyl palmitate (200 ppm) offered the maximum protection to the oil, when subjected to the accelerated oxidative stability test. Thus GCO can be considered as a fairly stable oil with a high content of a-linolenic acid.

Preparation and characterization of protein isolate and biodiesel from garden cress seed

“…γ-Tocopherol content in vegetable oil is positively correlated with the amount of α-linolenic present in it [58]. These findings are consistent with those obtained by Diwakar et al, [6] who reported that γ-tocopherol is found to be the predominant tocopherol in garden cress seed oil. …”

“…In the same time, the presence of erucic acid (C22:1) in garden cress seeds was not reported by Zia-Ul-Haq et al, [40]. On the other hand, the obtained fatty acid profiles for garden cress oil were similar to those reported by [6].…”

“…Gc bran can be used as a rich source of dietary fiber [1]. Garden cress seed contains 20-25% yellowish semidrying oil and the major fatty acid in it is alpha linolenic acid (32-34%) [6]. Mixing garden cress oil (GcO) with linseed oil led to significant increase in the oxidative stability of linseed oil [7].…”

“…Mixing garden cress oil (GcO) with linseed oil led to significant increase in the oxidative stability of linseed oil [7]. GcO has a balanced amount of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) (46.8%) and monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) (37.6%) and also contains natural antioxidants viz., tocopherols and carotenoids which protect the oil from rancidity [6]. In this respect, [8] reported that erucic acid (C22:1; 3.0 wt%), stearic acid (C18:0; 2.8 wt%), and arachidic acid (C20:0; 2.3 wt%) were among the minor fatty acids found in garden cress oil.…”

Superoxide dismutase isozyme activity and antioxidant responses of hydroponically cultured Lepidium sativum L. to NaCl stress

“…The leaves of Lepidium are antiscorbutic, diuretic, and stimulant. The seeds are aperients, diuretic, tonic, demulcent, aphrodisiac, rubefacient, carminative, galactagogue, and emmenagogue (Nadkarni 1954;Diwakar et al 2010;Rehman et al 2012). It is supplemented in the diet of lactating women to increase the milk secretion during postnatal period (Datta et al 2011) and recommended for diarrhea and dysentery.…”