Monday, 7 November 2005
9

Genetic Resources of Omega-3 Fatty Acid Crops.

David M. Brenner1, Tomas Ayala-Silva2, Barbara Hellier3, Kim E. Hummer4, Maria Jenderek5, Laura Fredrick Marek1, J. B. Morris6, Randall Nelson7, K. R. Reitsma1, Larry D. Robertson8, Susan M. Stieve9, Ed W. Stover10, and Mark P. Widrlechner7. (1) North Central Regional Plant Introduction Station, Department of Agronomy, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011-1170, (2) USDA, ARS, SHRS, 13601 Old Cutler Road, Miami, FL 33158, (3) USDA-ARS, Western Regional Plant Introduction Station, 59 Johnson Hall, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164, (4) USDA ARS National Clonal Germplasm Repository, 33447 Peoria Road, Corvallis, OR 97333-2521, (5) National Arid Land Plant Genetic Resource Unit, USDA, ARS, 9611 S. Riverbend, Parlier, CA 93648, (6) USDA, ARS, PGRCU, 1109 Experiment St., Griffin, GA 30223-1797, (7) USDA-ARS, University of Illinois, 1101 West Peabody Drive, Urbana, IL 61801, (8) Plant Genetic Resources Unit, USDA-ARS, 630 W. North St., Geneva, NY 14456, (9) Ornamental Plant Germplasm Center, The Ohio State University, 670 Vernon Tharp Street, Columbus, OH 43210, (10) USDA/ARS National Clonal Germplasm Repository, One Shields Ave., Davis, CA 95616

At least ten crops are contending for a new commercial category as sources of omega-3 fatty acids for healthful dietary supplements.  The omega-3 fatty acid generally harvested from plants is: alpha-linolenic acid, also known as ALA, aLnA, C18:3n-3, 18:3-Delta-9c12c15c, or cis-9cis-12cis-15 octadecatrienoic acid.  Fish oils are also commercially available sources for omega-3 including the forms eicosapentaenoic acid 20:5 and docosahexaenoic acid 22:6 which are rare in plant sources.  These ten omega-3 crops are commercially developed to the stage that they can be purchased from internet sites by searching for the crop name + “omega-3”: black currant (Ribes), borage, (Borago), chia (Salvia), flax (Linum), hemp (Cannabis), perilla (Perilla), purslane (Portulaca), pumpkin (Cucurbita), walnut (Juglans), and wheat germ (Triticum). In addition to commercial omega-3 crops the following plant genera have at least one report of omega-3 at high levels; with more than 30% of the seed comprised of an oil containing more than 30% omega-3 in the fatty acids: Agrimonia, Aleurites, Arabis, Calamintha, Calocedrus, Cryptantha, Descurainia, Euphorbia, Helleborus, Lallemantia, Malcolmia, Micromeria, Nicotiana, Odontites, Phyllanthus, Plukenetia, Saloa, Saxifraga, Tetradium, and Thuja. Many conventional leafy vegetables contain some Omega-3 but purslane, watercress (Nasturtium) and mint (Mentha) have higher concentrations than most foliage sources. The following conventional crops have Omega-3 at moderate concentrations, avocado (Persea), canola (Brassica), sesame (Sesamum), and soybean (Glycine); and they are frequently included on popular lists of omega-3 sources.


Handout (.pdf format, 198.0 kb)

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