Traditional and Emerging Feedstocks for Food and Industrial Bioproduct Manufacturing - Food and Industrial Bioproducts and Bioprocessing - page 23

Nuts contain tocopherols, tocotrienols, phytosterols, and many different flavonoids,
including isoflavones and quercetin.
About two-thirds of total world peanut production is crushed for oil. Peanuts are found
in a wide variety of products and are an integral part of many cuisines all over the world.
Unlike other countries where most of the peanuts produced are used for oil, cake and meal,
the prime market in the United States is peanut butter. About half of the United States peanut
crop is made into peanut butter, which is one of America's favorite foods. Other forms of
peanut consumption in the United States are confectionary (25%) and snack/salted peanuts
(10%). Peanuts are even considered as a potential food for space travel (Haumann, 1998).

1.3.3.8 Crambe

Crambe ( Crambe abyssinica Hochst . ex Fries) is an annual oilseed crop that has great potential
as a non-edible industrial feedstock for bioproduct development. Whole seeds contain about
35% oil that is rich in erucic acid (55-60%). Crambe oil can be used in a wide range of
products including pharmaceuticals, detergents, and cosmetics, as well as lubricants, rubber
additives, a new type of nylon, bases for paints and coatings, high temperature hydraulic
fluids, dielectric fluid and waxes (Leonard, 1992; Lazzeri et al ., 1994 ; Wang et al ., 2000 ;
Muuse et al ., 1992). Similar to the other cruciferous oil-bearing seeds, crambe seeds contain
glucosinolates, which limit their use in edible applications and as feed for non-ruminant
animals. Yet, the US FDA has approved the use of defatted crambe meal as a beef cattle
protein supplement at levels up to 4.2% of the total weight of rations (Wang et al ., 2000 b).
Crambe seed has relatively high fiber content (about 18%) compared to other cruciferous
seeds. The seed coat is rich in lignin (20%) and -cellulose (60%). Crambe seed coat can be

utilized as an efficient absorbent material due to the absence of a strong fibrous structure.

α

1.3.3.9 Other oilseeds

Lesqueralla and vernonia are non-food oilseed crops that have been evaluated for their
potential as feedstocks for bioproduct and biofuel production. Furthermore, these oilseeds
contain unusual fatty acids that are not suited for human consumption but have unique
chemical properties that are valuable for specific industrial applications. Ricinoleic acid (an
hydroxy acid) in lesquerella and vernolic acid (an epoxy fatty acid) in vernonia are excellent
feedstocks for production of bioplastics and plasticizers (Battey et al ., 1989 ). Oils from non-
food oilseed also have various functionalities as they are. For example, when lesquerella oil
was mixed with engine oil at low concentrations (0.25%) it had superior performance in
reducing wear and damage in diesel engines compared to castor, soybean, and rapeseed
methyl esters (Goodrum and Geller, 2004). Lesquerella oil can also be used as an ingredient
for a number of other bioproducts, such as lubricants, motor oils, plastics, inks, and adhesives.
Lesquerella seed coat and meal contain a gum that is useful in coatings and food thickeners.
Eruca sativa Mill, Limnanthes alba Benth., Euphorbia iagascae Sprengel, Dimorphotheca
pluviafis (L.) Much., and Calendula oficinalis L. are other oil bearing crops that are getting
attention as potential industrial feedstocks for bioproduct development. Eruca sativa seed
oil is rich in erucic acid and is being evaluated as an alternative to rapeseed. Oil from
Limnanthes alba is extremely resistant to oxidation and contains very long chain fatty acids.
Euphorbia lagascae and Dimorphotheca pluviafis can provide unique oils that contain
highly reactive and functionalized fatty acids, such as epoxy and hydroxydiene fatty acids,
to the oleochemical industry.