Flaxseed embryos

Zheng, Y., Wiesenbom, D.P., Tostenson, K., and Kangas, N. 2002. Bench scale screw pressing of flaxseed and flaxseed embryos. In Proceedings of the 59th Flax Institute of the United States , pp. 30-37. Fargo, ND. 

Flaxseed has a high ALA content, generally constituting 50-62% of total fatty acids (Daun et al., 2003). Dorrell (1970) reported that fatty acid distribution in flaxseed varied depending on the anatomical fractions. The hull is the main source of palmitic acid, but it has a relatively low oil content. Lower oleic and ALA and higher linoleic contents are present in the embryo compared to whole seed. Oomah and Mazza (1997) also observed higher levels of palmitic acid in the hull. However, the hull and whole seed gave similar ALA values, compared to dehulled seed. 

Flaxseed has two flattened cotyledons, which constitute the greater portion of the embryo. The embryo is surrounded by a seed coat that consists of a hull and an adherent layer of endosperm. Hull and cotyledon can be utilized separately as a functional ingredient (Oomah and Mazza 1997 Wiesenborn et al. 2002). Hence dehulling and milling studies have been carried out for flaxseed utilization purposes. 

Flynn, T.J., Collins, T.F.X., Sprando, R.L., Black, T.N., Ruggles, D.I., Wiesenfeld, P.W., and Babu, U.S. 2003. Developmental effects of serum from flaxseed-fed rats on cultured rat embryos. Food Chem Toxicol. 41, 835-840. 

No significant embryotoxic effects were observed in rat embryos cultured for 45 hours in serum of pregnant rats that had been administered a diet of 20 or 40% flaxseed or 13 or 26% defatted flaxseed meal (Flynn et al. 1999,2003). 

The first system (I), originally demonstrated in flaxseed (Zimmerman, 1966), also occurs in embryos of several cereal seeds, com (Gardner et al.,... 

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