Chemical Composition and Yield of Six Genotypes of Common Purslane (Portulaca oleracea L.): An Alternative Source of Omega-3 Fatty Acids

Purslane (Portulaca oleraceae L.) is a widespread weed, which is highly appreciated for its high nutritional value with particular reference to the content in omega-3 fatty acids. In the present study, the nutritional value and chemical composition of purslane plants in relation to plant part and harvesting stage were evaluated. Plants were harvested at three growth stages (29, 43 and 52 days after sowing (DAS)), while the edible aerial parts were separated into stems and leaves. Leaves contained higher amounts of macronutrients than stems, especially at 52 DAS. α-tocopherol was the main isoform, which increased at 52 DAS, as well total tocopherols (values were in the ranges of 197–327 μg/100 g fresh weight (fw) and 302–481 μg/100 g fw, for α-tocopherol and total tocopherols, respectively). Glucose and fructose were the main free sugars in stems and leaves, respectively, whereas stems contained higher amounts of total sugars (values were ranged between 0.83 g and 1.28 g/100 g fw). Oxalic and total organic acid content was higher in leaves, especially at the last harvesting stage (52 DAS; 8.6 g and 30.3 g/100 g fw for oxalic acid and total organic acids, respectively). Regarding the fatty acid content, stems contained mainly palmitic (20.2–21.8%) and linoleic acid (23.02–27.11%), while leaves were abundant in α-linolenic acid (35.4–54.92%). Oleracein A and C were the major oleracein derivatives in leaves, regardless of the harvesting stage (values were in the ranges of 8.2–103.0 mg and 21.2–143 mg/100 g dried weight (dw) for oleraceins A and C, respectively). Cytotoxicity assays showed no hepatotoxicity, with GI50 values being higher than 400 μg/mL for all the harvesting stages and plant parts. In conclusion, early harvesting and the separation of plant parts could increase the nutritional value of the final product through increasing the content of valuable compounds, such as omega-3 fatty acids, phenolic compounds and oleracein derivatives, while at the same time, the contents of anti-nutritional compounds such as oxalic acid are reduced.

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Nutritional Characterization of Sea Bass Processing By-Products

Biomolecules ◽

10.3390/biom10020232 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (2) ◽

pp. 232 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Paulo E. S. Munekata ◽

Mirian Pateiro ◽

Rubén Domínguez ◽

Jianjun Zhou ◽

Francisco J. Barba ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Amino Acids ◽

Fatty Acids ◽

Amino Acid ◽

Chemical Composition ◽

Sea Bass ◽

Omega 3 Fatty Acids ◽

Omega 3 ◽

Fish Bones ◽

Promising Source ◽

By Products

The consumption of functional foods and nutraceuticals is gaining more importance in modern society. The exploration of alternative sources and the utilization of by-products coming from the food industry are gaining more importance. The present study aimed to characterize the nutritional value and potential use of sea bass by-products as a source of high-added-value compounds for the development of supplements. The chemical composition (moisture, protein, fat, and ash contents) and profiles of amino acids (high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to a scanning fluorescence detector), fatty acids (gas chromatography coupled to a flame ionization detector), and minerals (inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy) were determined for sea bass fillet and its by-products (skin, guts, gills, liver, head, and fish bones). The chemical composition assays revealed that by-products were rich sources of proteins (skin; 25.27 g/100 g), fat (guts and liver; 53.12 and 37.25 g/100 g, respectively), and minerals (gills, head, and fish bones; 5.81, 10.11, and 7.51 g/100 g, respectively). Regarding the amino-acid profile, the skin and liver were the main sources of essential amino acids with an essential amino-acid index of 208.22 and 208.07, respectively. In the case of the fatty-acid profile, all by-products displayed high amounts of unsaturated fatty acids, particularly monounsaturated (from 43.46 to 49.33 g/100 g fatty acids) and omega-3 fatty acids (in the range 10.85–14.10 g/100 g fatty acids). Finally, the evaluation of mineral profile indicated high contents of calcium and phosphorus in gills (1382.62 and 742.60 mg/100 g, respectively), head (2507.15 and 1277.01 mg/100 g, respectively), and fish bone (2093.26 and 1166.36 mg/100 g, respectively). Therefore, the main sources of monounsaturated, unsaturated, and long-chain omega-3 fatty acids were guts and liver. The most relevant source of minerals, particularly calcium, phosphorus, and manganese, were head, fish bones, and gills. The most promising source of proteins and amino acids was the skin of sea bass.

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Bioengineered Plants Can Be an Alternative Source of Omega-3 Fatty Acids for Human Health

Plant and Human Health, Volume 2 ◽

10.1007/978-3-030-03344-6_16 ◽

2019 ◽

pp. 361-382 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Nita Lakra ◽

Saquib Mahmood ◽

Avinash Marwal ◽

N. M. Sudheep ◽

Khalid Anwar

Keyword(s):

Fatty Acids ◽

Human Health ◽

Omega 3 Fatty Acids ◽

Omega 3 ◽

Alternative Source

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Bioengineered Plants Can Be a Useful Source of Omega-3 Fatty Acids

BioMed Research International ◽

10.1155/2017/7348919 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 2017 ◽

pp. 1-9 ◽

Cited By ~ 17

Author(s):

Waleed Amjad Khan ◽

Hu Chun-Mei ◽

Nadeem Khan ◽

Amjad Iqbal ◽

Shan-Wu Lyu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Fatty Acids ◽

Essential Fatty Acids ◽

Daily Intake ◽

The Body ◽

Omega 3 Fatty Acids ◽

Omega 3 ◽

Alternative Source ◽

Fish Stocks ◽

Genetic Modifications ◽

Recent Developments

Omega-3 fatty acids have proven to be very essential for human health due to their multiple health benefits. These essential fatty acids (EFAs) need to be uptaken through diet because they are unable to be produced by the human body. These are important for skin and hair growth as well as for proper visual, neural, and reproductive functions of the body. These fatty acids are proven to be extremely vital for normal tissue development during pregnancy and infancy. Omega-3 fatty acids can be obtained mainly from two dietary sources: marine and plant oils. Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA; C20:5 n-3) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA; C22:6 n-3) are the primary marine-derived omega-3 fatty acids. Marine fishes are high in omega-3 fatty acids, yet high consumption of those fishes will cause a shortage of fish stocks existing naturally in the oceans. An alternative source to achieve the recommended daily intake of EFAs is the demand of today. In this review article, an attempt has, therefore, been made to discuss the importance of omega-3 fatty acids and the recent developments in order to produce these fatty acids by the genetic modifications of the plants.

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