title: Quantification of seed oil from species with varying oil content using supercritical fluid extraction.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The quantity and composition of seed oil affects seed viability and storability and hence the value of a species as a resource for nutrition and plant conservation. Supercritical fluid extraction with carbon dioxide (SFE-CO2) offers a rapid, environmentally friendly alternative to traditional solvent extraction.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To develop a method using SFE-CO2 to quantify the seed oil content in a broad range of species with high to low oil contents.
  
  
  METHODS
  Seed oil was extracted using SFE-CO2 from four crop species representing high, medium and low oil content: Helianthus annuus, Asteraceae, with ca. 55% oil; Brassica napus, Brassicaceae, with ca. 50% oil; Glycine max, Fabaceae, with ca. 20% oil; and Pisum sativum, Fabaceae, with ca. 2% oil. Extraction pressures of 5000, 6000 and 7500 psi and temperatures of 40, 60 and 80 degrees C were examined and a second step using 15% ethanol as a modifier included. Oil yields were compared with that achieved from Smalley Butt extraction. The optimised SFE-CO2 method was validated on six species from taxonomically distant families and with varying oil contents: Swietenia humilis (Meliaceae), Stenocereus thurberi (Cactaceae), Sinapis alba (Brassicaceae), Robinia pseudoacacia (Fabaceae), Poa pratensis (Poaceae) and Trachycarpus fortunei (Arecaceae).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The two-step extraction at 6000 psi and 80 degrees C produced oil yields equivalent to or higher than Smalley Butt extraction for all species, including challenging species from the Brassicaceae family.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  SFE-CO2 enables the rapid analysis of seed oils across a broad range of seed oil contents.
authors.affiliation: Seed Conservation Department, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Wakehurst Place, Ardingly, West Sussex RH176TN, UK.
authors.forename: Charlotte E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Seal
authors.forename: Ilse
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kranner
authors.forename: Hugh W
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Pritchard
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D029688:Brassica napus / Q000737:chemistry; D002245:Carbon Dioxide / Q000737:chemistry; D025924:Chromatography, Supercritical Fluid / Q000379:methods*; D006368:Helianthus / Q000737:chemistry; D018532:Pisum sativum / Q000737:chemistry; D010938:Plant Oils / Q000032:analysis*; D012639:Seeds / Q000737:chemistry*; D013025:Glycine max / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D010938:Plant Oils; D002245:Carbon Dioxide