Nutritional value of cruciferous oilseed crops in relation to profile of accumulated biomolecules with especial regard to glucosinolates transformation products

Cruciferous oilseed crops accumulate relatively high concentrations of nutritional high quality oil and proteins in their seeds. In addition to these major seed components, their co-occurrence with high concentrations of dietary fibre (DF) and various bioactive components as glucosinolates/glucosinolate products is decisive for the nutritional value of the seed meal or products obtained from it. Depending on structural types and concentration of glucosinolates and glucosinolate derived products, these compounds can be either health beneficial or act as antinutrients. The effects of these components depend, however, strongly on the type of animal and development of the animals fed with the diets based on these compounds. Results from studies based on differently treated and processed seeds and from use of individual isolated seed components included in standard diets are evaluated and treated in relation to literature data as a basis for recommendations of acceptable concentrations of glucosinolates/glucosinolate products in animal diets. A discussion on the relation between these recommendations of acceptable concentrations in feed to different animals and those reported as necessary for plant pathogen control (biofumigation) and health beneficial effects (chemoprotection) is also included

Characterization of proteins, including myrosinases, associated to rapeseed dietary fibres, compared to proteins in pea dietary fibres

Dietary fibres (DF) have been isolated from rapeseed and peas, separated into different fractions and investigated for their content of associated non-carbohydrate compounds, especially proteins by UV-spectroscopy, nitrogen determination, isoelectric focusing, and rocket Immunoelectrophoresis. The level of protein varied according to the plant origin of DF and among the different DF fractions (pectins, hemicelluloses, cellulose, lignins). In general, rapeseed DF contained more protein than pea DF, with the hemicellulose fraction from rapeseed hulls having the highest level. Rocket immunoelectrophoresis proved the presence of myrosinase as part of the DF associated proteins in rapeseed. This may be of importance for the degradation of glucosinolates in the digestive tract of humans and animals, and thereby the effects from these compounds are changed