Upgrading of camelina (Camelina sativa L. Crantz) and sophia (Descurainia sophia L.) seed meals using a two-phase solvent extraction system

Sewwandi Dissanayaka
PhD Student
Department of Biochemistry


Date: November 20, 2023
Time: 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. 
Room: CSF 1302

Camelina sativa L. Crantz (Camelina/ false flax/ gold of pleasure) and Descurainia sophia L. (sophia/ flixweed) belong to the family Brassicaceae and are considered as novel oilseed plants. The seeds are rich in protein and lipids.  While the oil is in high demand, the deoiled fraction remains underutilized. Therefore, it is necessary to use the resultant meal that is rich in protein for value-added products in food and pharmaceutical applications.  However, glucosinolates and other antinutritive constituents such as sinapine and tannins present in the seed meal limit their use in food formulation. In this study, crushed camelina and sophia seeds were treated with designed two-phase solvent extraction systems consisting of 10% NH₃ in 95% ethanol-hexane and 10% NH₄OH in 95% ethanol-hexane. Over 95% of glucosinolates originally present in camelina and nearly 90% of those in sophia meals were removed by the NH₄OH-ethanol system. The corresponding removal of glucosinolates with NH₃-ethanol system was only 75% and 42%, respectively. Furthermore, these two solvent systems enriched the protein content of the meals so produced. Meanwhile, some phenolics in the resultant meals were extracted. Interestingly, this designed system effectively removed more than 85% of sinapine from both meals. The findings of this work suggest that 10% NH₄OH in 95% ethanol-hexane solvent system and to a lesser extent, 10% NH₃ in 95% ethanol-hexane, may serve as effective means for the removal of glucosinolates and other antinutrients from camelina and sophia seed meals. Evaluation of the functional properties and characterization of potent bioactive peptides derived from antinutrient-free meals is currently in progress in order to provide novel sources of plant protein for use in a variety of food applications.