Fatty acids composition of Cannabis sativa and Helianthus annus

摘要

A balanced intake of n-6 to n-3 fatty acids is essential for good health and even for the prevention of diseases. A ratio of linoleic acid to linolenic acid of 2:1 or less has been shown to be optimal for the elongation of linolenic acid to eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), Interest in Cannabis sativa and Helianthus annus was focused on the composition of the fat because of their growing importance for nutritional and pharmaceutical purposes. We have therefore begun the analysis and characterization of their fatty acids (FAs) in different oils extracted from those seeds to obtain reliable data on their suitability for both human nutrition and industrial or pharmaceutical perposes. The total seed oil content fluctuated from 33% for C. sativa and 41% for H. annus. The ratio of oleic (C18:1 n-9) to linoleic (C18:2 n-6) acid and total unsaturated to total saturated fatty acids ranged from 0.22 to 0.11 and 6.5 to 9.7, respectively. Both seed oils contained a high concentration of palmitic (C16:0) ranging from 65 g/kg to 42 g/kg, estearic (C18:0) ranging from 25 g/kg to 52 g/kg, oleic (C18:1 n-9) ranging from 127 g/kg to 85 g/kg, linoleic (C18:2 n-6) acid ranging from 572 g/kg to 797 g/kg and linolenic acid ranging from 154 g/kg to 100 g/kg respectively for C. sativa and for H. annus. Eracic acid (C22:1) was not detected while eicosanoic acid (C20:0) was found only in H. annus. Behenic acid (C22:0) was found in both seed oil samples, in small proportions. Both species seem to be suitable for human consumption, however a ratio of linoleic acid to linolenic acid (n-6/n-3) of 3.7 and 7.9 obtained respectively for C. sativa and H. annus could be very high in terms of balanced nutrient intake.