Low Linolenic Acid Flaxseed Oil

Low Linolenic Acid Flaxseed Oil (Unhydrogenated) Low Linolenic Acid Linseed Oil... 

Low Erucic Acid Rapeseed Oil, 8 Low Linolenic Acid Flaxseed Oil (Unhydrogenated), 58 Low Linolenic Acid Linseed Oil, 58 Lysozyme, 18... 

Abbreviations LLCAN - low-linolenic acid canola oil HOCAN - high-oleic acid canola oil GLCO - canola oil with gamma linolenic acid LLFlax - flaxseed oil with reduced content of linolenic acid LTCAN - canola oil with high content of lauric acid MUFA - monounsaturated fatty acids PUFA -polyunsaturated fatty acids. 

Canada is one of the major flaxseed producers and exporters, where a minimal amount of seeds is crushed to produce flax oil. Flax oil is mainly considered as a health food product but not a commodity oil. Figure 2 shows yearly production of flaxseeds in Canada for the past ten years. On average, Canada is producing above 800,000 MT (metric tons) of flaxseed per year (5). Part of this production is low linolenic acid varieties, which contribute from 10% to 15% to the total production. 

Identification Low linolenic flaxseed oil exhibits the following composition profile of fatty acids as determined under Fatty Acid Composition, Appendix VII. 

Some physicochemical properties of conventional flaxseed oil and low linolenic varieties are presented in Table 1. The higher specific gravity of 0.935 observed for flaxseed oil than other vegetable oils can be directly attributed to the high contribution of linolenic acid. It is in line with the specific density of fatty acids that increases from 0.895 to 0.9038 and to 0.914 for oleic, linoleic, and linolenic acids, respectively (7). 

Fatty acid composition of regular flax oil is different from other commercial oils because of the very high contribution of ALA, usually above 50% (Table 2). Because of the high content of this unique fatty acid, flaxseed and flax oil are often used as food supplements, where enrichment with omega-3 fatty acids is needed. This fatty acid is susceptible to oxidation it oxidizes 20 0 times faster than oleic acid and 2 times faster than linoleic acid (8). This property makes the oil a good material for paint and plastic production where fast oxidation is required. Flax oil contains low amounts of saturated fatty acids (SFA) compared with low linolenic flax oil (Linola), soybean, and sunflower oils however, it is higher than canola oil (Table 2). Canola oil contains the lowest amount of SFA among all commercial oils. 

DHA are involved in normal brain, visual, and immune functions. The conversion of linolenic acid to EPA and DHA is minimal and inefficient. In patients consuming very low-fat diets, it is often difficult to increase plasma DHA concentrations by providing a-linolenic acid from dietary sources such as flaxseed or walnut oil [14]. EPA and DHA are found preformed in fatty fish such as salmon or halibut. Due to the high fat content of these fish, they are extremely difficult to incorporate into a very low-total fat diet. Therefore, in patients with FAOD, supplementation specifically with DHA and EPA, rather than providing dietary precursors, may be needed to maintain plasma DHA within normal limits. 

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