Skip to main content
2023 AOCS Annual Meeting & Expo Main banner
Icon Legend
This session is not in your schedule.
This session is in your schedule. Click again to remove it.
Back

Health and Nutrition

Poster

Session:: Health and Nutrition Poster Session

Effect of nitrogen availability on oil seed phytochemical content

Monday, May 1, 2023
4:30 PM – 6:00 PM MDT
Abstract: Sesame (Sesamum indicum) and Black cumin (Nigella sativa) are important oil seeds, with sesame being a staple food and black cumin serving as both food and a traditional medicinal substance. Previous research has shown an effect of nitrogen availability on oil seed phytochemical contents. The aim of the current work was thus to evaluate nitrogen fertilization effect on health-related compounds in sesame and black cumin. Seeds were cultivated under five different nitrogen fertilization levels. After harvest, seed nutritional and health-related quality was evaluated, including the levels of polyphenols (lignans), tocopherols, and phytosterols, as well as antioxidant activity, alongside the fatty acid profile and anti-nutrient contents. Additionally, seed volatilome and metabolome were studied.

Our results show that nitrogen fertilization regime substantially affects the contents of seed phytochemicals and hence the nutritional and health-related quality of oil seeds. Observed effects were desirable and undesirable, some with opposite trends, while some traits remained unaffected. At the same time, different crops show different response patterns to nitrogen availability, even under the same cultivation conditions.

Overall, our research suggests that fertilization significantly affects the chemical composition of oil crops. Accordingly, when determining the fertilization regime for oil seeds, quality aspects should be taken into consideration.