Brassica Glucosinolates, Mustard oils

Newkirk et al. (1997) conducted a nutritional evaluation of low-glucosinolate mustard meals. Samples of brassica seed (four B. juncea, one B. napus and one B. rapa) were processed to produce oil-extracted meals, which were then fed to broiler chickens. Meals derived from B. juncea contained more CP and less TDF on a dry basis than B. napus or B. campestris, 459 versus 446 and 431 g/kg CP and 272.2 versus 294.7 and 296.7g/kg TDF, respectively. ADF and NDF levels for B. juncea and B. campestris meals were similar to each other, but lower than those of B. napus, 127.9 and 132.0 versus 206g/kg ADF, and 211.5 and 195.8 versus 294.7g/kg NDF, respectively. B. juncea meals contained more glucosinolates than B. napus and B. campestris, 34.3 versus 21.8 and 25.5pmol/g total glucosinolates, respectively. B. juncea meals were equal or superior to B. napus and B. campestris meals for AME and apparent ileal protein digestibility. 

Canadian investigators have bred Brassica juncea (orienal mustard) from an Australian line with low erucic acid and low glucosinolate so that it has a fatty acid composition (palmitic 3%, stearic 2%, oleic 64%, linoleic 17%, and linolenic acid 10%) similar to that of canola oil from B. napus and B. rapa. This makes it possible to expand the canola growing area of Western Canada (143). 

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