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Plant Biosystems, Vol. 144, No. 3, September 2010, pp. 626–633

Tocopherol, fatty acid and phytosterol content in seeds of nine wild taxa
of Sicilian Brassica (Cruciferae)

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A. SCIALABBA , L. SALVINI , A. S. FAQI , & L. M. BELLANI
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Laboratorio Sistema Madonie, Dipartimento di Scienze Botaniche, Università di Palermo, Italy, Centro di Analisi e
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Determinazioni strutturali, Università di Siena, Italy, MPI Research, USA, and Dipartimento di Biologia Evolutiva,
Università di Siena, Italy
Taylor and Francis
(Received 6 May 2009; Accepted 22 July 2009)
10.1080/11263504.2010.490029
Downloaded By: [Scialabba, A.] At: 20:01 10 October 2010
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to determine tocopherol (Toc), fatty acid and phytosterol content in dry seeds of nine wild
taxa of Sicilian Brassica sect. Brassica. Analyses were performed by gas chromatography (GC)-mass spectroscopy (MS).
The biochemical analysis of dry seeds showed that in the nine taxa examined, α- and γ-Toc were the major isomers, δ-
Toc was present in traces and β-Toc was never found. All taxa had a similar fatty acid composition with C 16:0 (357.2 mg
−1
−1
−1
kg DW), C 18:1 (393.94 mg kg DW) and C 22:1 (618.29 mg kg DW) acids present in higher amount. Unsaturated
fatty acids (52.5–66.5%) were more abundant than saturated (33.5–47.5%) ones relative to the total fatty acids. Moreover,
sitosterol was the most abundant (61.7–69.6%) of all phytosterols in all species and subspecies, followed by brassicasterol
and campesterol at 16.0–19.3% and 11.9–20.7%, respectively. Total Toc content and the relative percentage of single
isoforms were useful to discriminate seeds of B. incana, B. macrocarpa, B. rupestris group and B. villosa group. On the basis
of these results, B. villosa subsp. villosa, B. villosa subsp. bivoniana, B. villosa subsp. drepanensis and B. villosa subsp. tinei
can be ascribed to the B. villosa group. These taxa, having the highest T-Toc, γ-Toc and phytosterol contents, are
potentially the most bioactive ones, and could, therefore, be exploited in breeding programmes to develop genotypes with
putative positive effects on human health.
Abbreviations: B, Brassica; DW, dry weight; FA, fatty acids; RH, relative humidity; T-FA, total fatty acids; T-Phy, total
phytosterols; T-Toc, total tocopherol; Toc, tocopherol
Keywords: Brassica, Cruciferae, fatty acids, phytosterols, seeds, tocopherols

The genus Brassica L. (Brassicaceae = Cruciferae)
Introduction
comprises different species having nutritional,
In recent years, much investigation has been done pharmaceutical and industrial importance. Several
focusing on the role of fruits and vegetables contain- studies have indicated an association between the
ing antioxidant compounds that contribute to health consumption of B. oleracea L. and a reduced risk of
and wellness through enhancing disease prevention cancer (Baecher 1994), cardiovascular disease and
(Kurlich et al. 1999). These antioxidants include diabetes (Kataya & Hamza 2008), due to the presence
lipid-soluble vitamins and their precursors, of glucosinolates (Stoewsand 1995) and antioxidant
tocopherols (Toc) and carotenoids, as well as the vitamins (Evangelou et al. 1997; Pods dek 2007).
e˛
water-soluble vitamin ascorbic acid and flavonoids. Plant sterols have a fundamental role as structural
Tocopherol belongs to the vitamin E class of lipid- components in cell membranes and as precursors of
soluble antioxidants and is known to protect cell several secondary metabolites. Moreover, their ability
membranes from oxidative degradation by reactive to lower cholesterol levels in blood (Jones et al. 2000)
oxygen species (Munné-Bosch & Alegre 2002; and to prevent colon cancer (Rao & Janezic 1992) has
Kanwischer et al. 2005; Matringe et al. 2008). been investigated.

Correspondence: A. Scialabba, Laboratorio Sistema Madonie, Dipartimento di Scienze Botaniche, Università di Palermo, Via Archirafi 38, Palermo 90123,
Italy. Tel: +39 091 6238273. Fax: +39 091 6238273. Email: germas@unipa.it
ISSN 1126-3504 print/ISSN 1724-5575 online © 2010 Società Botanica Italiana
DOI: 10.1080/11263504.2010.490029