Search Results (27)

Oleogels must replicate the rheological behavior of saturated fats at processing and consumption temperatures to maintain their physical stability and sensory acceptance. Thus, multicomponent oleogels present a promising approach since oleogelators can exhibit structuring and melting at different temperatures. The aim of the study was to produce a mixture of ultra-chain-long esters capable of structuring and modulating rheological behavior in response to temperature exposure. Therefore, enzymatic transesterification between sorbitol and fully hydrogenated crambe oil (FHCO) was performed to produce a mixture of ultra-long-chain sorbitan esters (SB) for efficient structuring of sunflower oil. SB generated in a reaction medium consisting exclusively of ethanol (60 °C, 200 rpm, 1:1 molar ratio) was selected for its high sorbitol consumption (~95%). While SB oleogels exhibited higher gel strength at 5 °C, at 25 °C, FHCO oleogels were stiffer, showing the gradual melting of SB oleogels evaluated by temperature-dependent rheological analyses and thermal properties. Oleogelation inhibited hydroperoxide formation compared to sunflower oil over 30 days. Results highlight the potential of multicomponent oleogels based on ultralong-chain esters for healthier and more stable high-lipid products. Modulating rheological thermoresponsiveness ensures physical stability under refrigeration while providing a texture similar to saturated fats during spreading and swallowing. Full article

The valorization of byproducts such as defatted meal (DM) is essential for the implementation of a biorefinery structure and can be achieved through the application of emerging technologies, such as pressurized liquid extraction. This work aimed to apply pressurized liquid extraction to obtain products derived from the DM of crambe (Crambe abyssinica Hochst) seeds. The experiments investigated the effect of ethanol percentage in the hydroalcoholic solvent (25%, 50% and 75%, v/v) on the mass extract yield (MEY) and on the composition of the products obtained: phytochemical extract (PE) and processed flour (PF). The PE obtained using 25% ethanolic solvent had the highest MEY (23.48 wt%) and phenolic compounds, composed of caffeic, gallic and ferulic acids, which conferred activity against the fungus C. albicans. The solvents tested did not influence the content of soluble proteins. The solvent with 75% ethanol promoted the highest levels of glucosinolates (258.94 μmol/g) and tannins (8.80 mg/g) in the PE, reducing 96% and 98% of these contents in the PF produced. The PF obtained in the extraction with 75% ethanol contained phenolic compounds (~23 mg/100 g), dietary fibers (54.25 g/100 g) and soluble proteins (26.39 wt%), mainly composed of glutelin fraction. The PF also presented adequate functional properties, such as water solubility and absorption, which suggest potential use in pet food formulations. Full article

The CH₂Cl₂-MeOH extract of the Mediterranean sponge Crambe crambe was investigated via UHPLC-HRMS/MS employing manual dereplication and in silico mass spectrometry tools. A deconvolution approach was implemented for the extensive metabolic characterization of the sample, resulting in the annotation of 53 compounds. The analysis of data-dependent HRMS/MS scans was conducted to establish fragmentation patterns characteristic of each crambescin A, B, and C sub-families. Among the 39 compounds identified from these groups, 22 analogues were reported for the first time including 4 new homologous series that differed by the ratio of methylene units in the upper (n + 2) and lower (m + 2) alkyl side chains. More specifically, crambescins presenting m = 5 or 6 and n = 5 (compounds 7, 11, 22 and 24) as well as m = 5 or 6 and n = 4 (compounds 5, 6, 8, 9, 12 and 14) were characterized. Additionally, four new features, potentially corresponding to new crambescidin analogues (compounds 13, 15, 35, and 39), were also reported. The identity of the dereplicated features was further validated by studying crambescins’ spectral similarities through a feature-based molecular networking approach. Overall, this study suggests UHPLC-HRMS/MS—through the integration of manual and computational dereplication approaches—as a valuable tool for the investigation and high-throughput characterization of the C. crambe metabolome. Full article

Crambe sventenii Pett. ex Bramwell & Sunding and Pleudia herbanica (A.Santos & M.Fernández) M.Will, N.Schmalz & Class.-Bockh. are two single-island endemic species from Fuerteventura (Canary Islands), inhabiting the same areas and similar habitats. They are under the “Critically Endangered” category due to historical herbivore pressure, mainly goats, leading to habitat fragmentation and poor population recruitment. The main aim of our study was to provide insights into the conservation genetics and habitat suitability of these two species. For this purpose, we sampled all known populations on the island and developed two new sets of microsatellite markers. Moreover, to assist restoration plans, we performed species distribution models to determine the most suitable areas for reintroduction. While Crambe sventenii is highly fragmented, with low genetic diversity indices in some populations, Pleudia herbanica’s genetic structure is quite homogeneous, grouped in three main regions, with signs of inbreeding and an overall low genetic diversity. Both species could present moderate to high levels of autogamy. Our findings can provide guidance to local governments regarding conservation actions to be implemented in the field, like the identification of propagule sources and new suitable areas for restoration. Full article

Crambe abyssinica Hochst defatted seed meals were used to produce protein hydrolysates through a mild enzymatic two-step hydrolysis process. The resulting hydrolysates were rich in free amino acids, low-molecular-weight peptides, and potential bioactive compounds such as phenols, glucosinolates, or their derivatives. These hydrolysates were tested in bioassays, performed under controlled conditions, on mung bean (Vigna radiata) cuttings, to investigate a possible auxin effect, and on maize (Zea mays L.) in an aeroponic/hydroponic system during the first two weeks of growth. In both assays, crambe hydrolysates revealed a stimulating effect on root development at a dose corresponding to nitrogen concentration of 4.8 mM, promoting lateral root formation and altering root architecture. Furthermore, they exhibited a positive impact on nitrogen content in both maize roots and shoots, along with an increase in the chlorophyll SPAD index. Notably, the observed effects were similar to those induced by a commercial biostimulant based on an animal-derived hydrolysate, tested under the same conditions on maize. The present work underscores the potential of crambe seed by-products for new sustainable and environmentally safe agro-inputs aimed at enhancing crop performance within the framework of a circular economy. Full article

Specimens of Poecilosclerida taxa, collected from an insular coral community on the Pacific coast of Mexico, were identified as members of the family Crambeidae Lévi, 1963. They were associated with larvae and rhagon phases by using morphological characters, the nucleotide relationship and genetic divergence of three independent loci, two mitochondrial (COI and 16S rDNA) and one ribosomal (28S rDNA C3–C5). Crambe insularis sp. nov. differs from the general skeletal architecture in the genus Crambe Vosmaer, 1880, by its reduced spiculation defined by the presence of ectosomal and choanosomal monactinal megascleres, and the absence of microscleres. Bayesian and Maximum–Likelihood analyses of three loci supported the clustering of larvae, rhagon and adult sponge, all closely related to Mediterranean Crambe crambe (type species of the genus Crambe), and with South American Crambe species (C. chilensis, C. maldonadoi and C. amarilla) as sister species. The larva of C. insularis sp. nov. corresponded to the typical parenchymella larvae poecilosclerid species but with the presence of subtylostyles and styles. Ontogenetic process about the larval and rhagon of this new crambeid are provided. The morphological characters and molecular affinities of Crambe insularis sp. nov. are similar to Monanchora genus, and the implications are further discussed. This is the first taxonomic and molecular study with an integrative approach that includes other diagnostic features such as larval and rhagon development for the description of new species in Porifera. Full article

Bio-greases were developed on the basis of vegetable oil obtained from Crambe Abyssinic seeds. An important aspect of this research is to monitor changes in their quality taking place under the influence of external factors. Raman spectroscopy was used to identify changes taking place in the bio-lubricant under the influence of mechanical and thermal forces. The performed tests reflected the operating temperature and friction load that may occur during actual operating conditions for the lubricated friction systems. The Raman spectra provided information on qualitative changes in the structure of the tested bio-lubricants at the molecular level. The integral intensity of the bands used to assess the degree of lipid unsaturation was adopted as the evaluation criterion. The influence of the oxidation process under the PetroOxy and wear test conditions on changes in the structure of the bio-lubricants was assessed. Variation in the integral intensity of the bands (I₁₆₅₅/I₁₄₄₀) proves that the structure of vegetable lubricants changes under the influence of the tests performed. Thermal and mechanical forces influence, the bands originating in unsaturated and result in a decrease in the oxidation resistance of vegetable lubricants. Full article

Interest in fall–winter species options for rotation with soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) has arisen; however, little is known about how they can affect the performance of subsequent soybean under a no-tillage system in tropical environments. Our objective was to evaluate the leaf nutrient concentration, aboveground dry matter (DM) accumulation, macronutrient uptake, yield components, and seed yield of soybean cropped in succession to different crop species. Consequently, a field experiment was conducted during three consecutive growing seasons in Botucatu, São Paulo State, southeastern Brazil. The experiment was arranged in a randomized complete block design with four replicates. The treatments consisted of the cultivation of five crops (crambe (Crambe abyssinica Hochst. ex. R.E. Fries), maize (Zea mays L.), safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.), sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench), and sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.)) in rotation with soybean, in addition to plots that lie fallow (spontaneous weeds) in the soybean off-season, totaling six treatments. Letting plots lie fallow during the off-season reduced the DM accumulation, nutrient uptake, and seed yield of the soybean crop in succession. Preceding cultivation of fall–winter crambe or sunflower favored the uptake of P, K, Ca, Mg, and S by the following soybean crop. The cultivation of sorghum, safflower, and crambe as fall–winter crops also increased the seed yield of subsequent soybean (from 12 to 18% on the average of three growing seasons) compared to fallow plots. The highest increases in soybean seed yield were found in succession to maize (37%) or sunflower (45%) in the second and third growing seasons, respectively. Full article

The seeds of wild Crambe species have potential to be used as a source of industrial oil and animal feed. In this study, 48 genotypes of three Crambe species collected from the flora of Turkey were grown under field conditions in Ankara/Turkey in 2014–2016. The seed protein ratio, plant height, number of branches per plant, number of seeds per plant, seed yield per plant, thousand seed weight and hulless/hulled seed ratio (H/H) were determined. The highest protein ratio was determined as 26.02% in the t18 accession of Crambe tataria species. Variations in the characteristics were analyzed using principal component analysis. In the factor analysis of Crambe maritima, Crambe orientalis, Crambe tataria and the mean of these three species, the first two principal components accounted for 100%, 58.06%, 59.93% and 100% of the total variations, respectively. There were positive correlations between the plant height and number of seeds per plant, seed yield per plant for C. orientalis, and number of branches per plant for C. tataria. Although seed yield per plant was high in C. tataria and C. orientalis, they are not suitable for conventional agriculture due to shell thickness, inhomogeneous plant emergence and shooting. Conventional cultivation of wild Crambe species can be made possible by eliminating these negative features with breeding and agronomic studies. Full article

Industrial crop cultivation on marginal agricultural land limits indirect land-use change effects that pose a threat to food security. This review compiles results from 91 published crop-specific field trial datasets spanning 12 relevant industrial crops and discusses their suitability for cultivation on unfavorable soil types (USTs). It was shown that the perennial species Miscanthus (Miscanthus Andersson) and reed canary grass (Phalaris arundinacea L.) performed well on USTs with both high clay and/or high sand contents. Information on stoniness (particles sizes > 2 mm), where mentioned, was limited. It was found to have only a small impact on biological yield potential, though it was not possible to assess the impact on mechanization as would be used at a commercial scale. For soils with extreme clay or sand contents, half of the crops showed moderate suitability. The large yield variations within and between crops revealed large knowledge gaps in the combined effects of crop type and agronomy on USTs. Therefore, more field trials are needed on diverse USTs in different climates with better equipment and more consistent measurements to improve the accuracy of potential yield predictions spatially and temporally. Additionally, larger trials are needed to optimize cultivation and harvesting. Full article

Marine sponges (porifera) have proved to be a prolific source of unique bioactive secondary metabolites, among which the alkaloids occupy a special place in terms of unprecedented structures and outstanding biological activities. Identification of active cytotoxic alkaloids extracted from marine animals, particularly sponges, is an important strive, due to lack of knowledge on traditional experiential and ethnopharmacology investigations. In this report, a comprehensive survey of demospongian bioactive alkaloids in the range 1987–2020 had been performed with a special emphasis on the potent cytotoxic activity. Different resources and databases had been investigated, including Scifinder (database for the chemical literature) CAS (Chemical Abstract Service) search, web of science, Marin Lit (marine natural products research) database. More than 230 representatives of different classes of alkaloids had been reviewed and classified, different genera belonging to the phylum porifera had been shown to be a prolific source of alkaloidal molecules, including Agelas sp., Suberea sp., Mycale sp., Haliclona sp., Epipolasis sp., Monanchora sp., Crambe sp., Reniera sp., and Xestospongia sp., among others. The sufficient production of alkaloids derived from sponges is a prosperous approach that requires more attention in future studies to consider the constraints regarding the supply of drugs, attained from marine organisms. Full article

The study presents an updated overview of the 14 non-endemic threatened crop wild relatives (CWR) in Italy: Aegilops biuncialis, Ae. uniaristata, Ae. ventricosa, Asparagus pastorianus, Beta macrocarpa, Brassica insularis, B. montana, Crambe hispanica subsp. hispanica, C. tataria subsp. tataria, Ipomoea sagittata, Lathyrus amphicarpos, L. palustris, Vicia cusnae and V. serinica. Geographical distribution, ecology (with plant communities and habitat 92/43/EEC aspects), genetics (focused on gene pools), property, and in situ and ex situ conservation were analyzed. In addition, with the aim of their protection and valorization, specific actions are recommended. Full article

The aim of this study was to determine the effect of nitrogen (0, 30, 60, 90, 120 kg ha⁻¹) and sulfur (0, 15, and 30 kg ha⁻¹) fertilization on the morphometric parameters of plants, seed yield components, seed and straw yield, N fertilizer use efficiency (NFUE), and quality of crambe seeds. The experiment had a randomized complete block design, and it was carried out in Bałcyny (northeastern Poland) in 2017–2019. In northeastern Poland, the average seed yields ranged from 0.96 to 1.64–1.82 Mg ha⁻¹ (hulled seeds). Seed yield increased significantly in response to 120 kg N ha⁻¹ and 15 kg S ha⁻¹. The NFUE of crambe decreased by 28% with a rise in N rate. Hulled crambe seeds accumulated 324–394 g kg⁻¹ DM of crude fat, 208–238 g kg⁻¹ DM of total protein, and 118–137 g kg⁻¹ DM of crude fiber. Nitrogen fertilization decreased the crude fat content (by 6%), and it increased the total protein content (by 11%) and the crude fiber content (by 14%) of crambe seeds. Sulfur fertilization increased crude fat content (by 4–5%) without inducing significant differences in the total protein content and the crude fat content of seeds. Full article

Crambe (Crambe abyssinica Hochst) is an oilseed crop in the Brassicaceae family. Crambe’s ability to survive in diverse environmental conditions, its unique oil composition, the high oil content, suitability for the production of slip agents for plasticizers, the capacity to be easily included in common crop rotations, and its adaptability to equipment used for small grain cultivation has renewed the interest in this emerging crop. Crambe is considered one of the main sources of erucic acid, which can be up to 60% of its seed oil content. Erucic acid (C22:1) is a fatty acid with industrial importance since it is used to produce erucamide, key ingredient in the plastic industry. Inclusion of crambe into crop rotations can be beneficial because of its short life cycle, low fertility requirements, resistance to pest and diseases, and relative drought tolerance. Currently high erucic acid rapeseed (Brassica napus L.) (HEAR) is the principal source for erucic acid. However, the risk of contaminating food quality rapeseed (i.e., canola) by cross-pollination and the negative impact on climate, due to high inputs, are potential limitations to expand HEAR cultivation. Crambe has thus great potential to, at least, partially replace HEAR as a source of erucic acid, if the current knowledge-gap in agronomic management and crop improvement (seed yield and quality) can be addressed. Seed yield needs to be increased to be able to compete with HEAR. In addition, reducing glucosinolates and fiber in crambe meal may increase its inclusion in monogastrics rations. The objective of this review was to compile and summarize new and existing information on agricultural practices in crambe production and management to identify gaps in knowledge and areas for future research to increase the cultivation of crambe. Full article

The sustainable production of renewable energy is a key topic on the European community’s agenda in the next decades. The use of residuals from agriculture could not be enough to meet the growing demand for energy, and the contribution of vegetable oil to biodiesel production may be important. Moreover, vegetable oil can surrogate petroleum products in many cases, as in cosmetics, biopolymers, or lubricants production. However, the cultivation of oil crops for the mere production of industrial oil would arise concerns on competition for land use between food and non-food crops. Additionally, the economic sustainability is not always guaranteed, since the mechanical harvesting, in some cases, is still far from acceptable. Therefore, it is difficult to plan the future strategy on bioproducts production from oil crops if the actual feasibility to harvest the seeds is still almost unknown. With the present review, the authors aim to provide a comprehensive overview on the state of the art of mechanical harvesting in seven herbaceous oil crops, namely: sunflower (Heliantus annuus L.), canola (Brassica napus L.), cardoon (Cynara cardunculus L.), camelina (Camelina sativa (L.) Crantz), safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.), crambe (Crambe abyssinica R. E. Fr.), and castor bean (Ricinus communis L.). The review underlines that the mechanical harvesting of sunflower, canola and cardoon seeds is performed relying on specific devices that perform effectively with a minimum seed loss. Crambe and safflower seeds can be harvested through a combine harvester equipped with a header for cereals. On the other hand, camelina and castor crops still lack the reliable implementation on combine harvesters. Some attempts have been performed to harvest camelina and castor while using a cereal header and a maize header, respectively, but the actual effectiveness of both strategies is still unknown. Full article