Characterization of the Main Glucosinolate Content and Fatty Acid Composition in Non-Food Brassicaceae Seeds

Plants of the Brassicales order, and, in particular, the species belonging to the Brassicaceae family, are characterized by the presence of the glucosinolate (GLs)-myrosinase (MYR) system, an efficient internal defensive system that plays a role in the control of several types of pathogens. After wounding or a pathogen attack, GLs are hydrolyzed by MYR and release isothiocyanates (ITCs) harmful to pathogens or pests. The exploitation of this system has led to the definition of the biofumigation technique arising from the use of the biocidal properties of ITCs released from GL-containing plants and materials. In addition, Brassicaceae seeds are characterized by an oil content ranging from 10 to 45 % of their dry matter. The oils contain different fatty acids that confer different tribological properties for the production of bioenergy, biolubricants and molecules for lipochemistry. In order to better exploit and increase our knowledge of the Brassicaceae biodiversity, our research group has collected seeds from several wild and cultivated non-food species. They were characterized for their GL and fatty acid composition and the most interesting species were tested for their adaptability to full-field cultivation. This study characterizes a collection of seeds of 66 Brassicaceae species, preserved and available at CRA-CIN. The results confirm a wide variation in their profile that could open some application perspectives.