Erucic acid content in some rapeseed/mustard cultivars developed in Bangladesh

Seed samples of 21 indigenous and developed rapeseed/mustard cultivars, (Brassica campestris, B. juncea and B. napus) were characterized for their fatty acid composition. Erucic acid was one of the main fatty acids, in proportions ranging from 21.59 to 51.57% followed by oleic acid ranging from 7.03 to 25.21%. The other major monounsaturated fatty acid was gadoleic acid, which accounted for 4.12-12.06%. The major polyunsaturated fatty acids were linoleic and linolenic acid, ranging from 11.79 to 16.89% and 6.29 to 11.15%, respectively. Among the saturated fatty acids, palmitic acid accounted for 1.20-3.36%. Erucic acid content was negatively correlated with all other major fatty acids. The cultivars Binasarisha-3, Binasarisha-4, Binasarisha-5, MM 22-12-98, MM 2-16-98, MM 36-6-98, MM 49-3-98, MM 34-7-98 and Barisarisha-8 of B. napus had significantly (P < 0.001) low levels of erucic acid and high levels of oleic, linoleic and linolenic acids among all the cultivars. These four cultivars and five advanced generation mutant lines may be exploited in breeding programmes for the development of nutritionally better-quality locally adaptive cultivars. (c) 2005 Society of Chemical Industry