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Background and challenges

Developments linked to the growth and ageing of the world's population make it necessary to produce large quantities of proteins and lipids of good nutritional quality, while optimising agricultural production methods in order to limit their impact on the environment. In this context, plant seeds could be the subject of agro-ecological and industrial developments. In the case of oilseeds, this implies valorising all the co-products obtained after oil extraction. Camelina is an excellent source of essential omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids with many agronomic benefits. However, it remains a research orphan crop that deserves to be developed in order to identify avenues for its valorisation. The seed is rich in good-quality lipids, proteins and specialised bioactive metabolites that can have an effect on human health, but it also contains compounds whose levels are regulated because of their potential anti-nutritional effect at high doses.

Goals

This project aims to characterise the avenues of valorisation of the major products, including oil, fatty acids, proteins and beneficial metabolites or carbohydrates, present in different fractions of camelina seed and whose interest for human health is already known or could be suggested by our results. It will provide knowledge on existing agricultural practices related to the valorisation of camelina by farmers and food processors.

INRAE units involved

• Unité de nutrition humaine
• Institut Jean-Pierre Bourgin
• Laboratoire de chimie agro-industrielle
• UMR Agronomie
• Montpellier Interdisciplinary center on sustainable agri-food systems