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Abstract
Flaxseed or linseed (Linum usitatissimum L.) comes from the flax plant,
an annual herb. The main importance of flaxseed is in the human nutrition
sector because it is emerging as an important functional food ingredient thanks
to the content of active compounds, pointed to provide health benefits. There
are several ways to eat flaxseed: milled, in the form of oil or added to bakery
product.
Scientific evidences support consumption of flaxseed for the high content
in omega-3, omega-6 rich oil, -linolenic acid, lignans, high quality proteins and
fibers, compounds which are biologically active in the prevention of some chronic
diseases such as many types of cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and
cerebrovascular stroke.
Furthermore, advantages in flaxseed consumptions are shown in animal
nutrition sector and therefore result in healthier food from animal origin. In fact,
the fatty acid profile of the meat and fat is directly affected by the source of fat
in diet in swine and poultry, feeding omega-3 enriched diets by the addition
of flaxseed would increase the omega-3 content in eggs and meat and thus
enrich the products. The present review is focused on recent data on flaxseed
chemical composition and its beneficial effects.
Keywords: Flaxseed; Chemical composition; Health benefits; Functional
food; Human nutrition
Introduction
Consumers interest in healthy eating, in the last decades, shifted
towards the potential health benefits of specific foods and food
ingredients. Foods, in fact, are not intended to only satisfy hunger
and to provide basic nutritional requirements but also to prevent
nutrition-related diseases and to improve physical and mental wellbeing of the consumers.
The whole flaxseed is flat and oval with pointed tips and contains
a seed coat or true hull (also called testa), a thin endosperm, two
embryos and an embryo axis [7]. Every part of the linseed plant is
utilized commercially, either directly or after processing. The shell
yields good quality fiber having high mechanical properties and
low density instead the seed provides oil rich in omega-3, digestible
proteins and lignans; it is also use to manufacture paints, varnishes,
linoleum, oilcloths, printing inks, soaps and numerous other
products.
Thanks to its composition, flaxseed is emerging as an important
Citation: Bernacchia R, Preti R and Vinci G. Chemical Composition and Health Benefits of Flaxseed. Austin J
Nutri Food Sci. 2014;2(8): 1045.
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22.8
Calcium
236
Linoleic acid
s5.9
Magnesium
431
Oleic acid
7.3
Phosphorus
622
Stearic acid
1.3
Potassium
831
Palmitic acid
2.1
Sodium
27
Aminoacids [14]
g/100g of
proteins
Zinc
Glutamic acid
19.6
Copper
Aspartic acid
9.3
Iron
Arginine
9.2
Manganese
Glycine
5.8
Vitamins [9]
Cysteine
1.1
-tocopherol
522
Histidine
2.2
-tocopherol
Isoleucine
-tocopherol
10
Leucine
5.8
Ascorbic acid/vitamin C
0.5
Lysine
Thiamin/vitamin B1
0.5
Methionine
1.5
Riboflavin/vitamin B2
0.2
Proline
3.5
Niacin/nicotinic acid
3.2
Serine
4.5
Pyridoxine/vitamin B6
0.6
Threonine
3.6
Pantothenic acid
0.6
Carbohydrates [14]
mg/100g of
flaxseed
Tryptophan
1.8
Tyrosine
2.3
Valine
4.6
Dietary Fibres
[9]
g/100g of
flaxseed
Soluble Fibres
4.3-8.6
12.8-17.1
Protease
inhibitors
Cyanogenic
Compounds:
3
mg/100 of
flaxseed
Insoluble Fibres
mg/100g of
flaxseed
0.52g/kg of
flaxseed
13.3 mg/ g crude
protein
mg/100g of
flaxseed
Neutral arabinoxylan
fraction
Acidic
Rhamnogalacturonan
Fraction
1.2
0.4
10.9
Chlorogenic acid
7.5
Gallic acid
2.8
mg/100g of flaxseed
Secoisolariciresinol
165
Limamarin
11
Laricinesol
1.7
Linustatin
150
Pinoresinol
0.8
Neolinustatin
140
Total Flavonoids
35-70
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Health Benefit
anti-ulcer activity
anti-secretory effect
anti-atherogenic effect
CVD prevention
Proteins
Reference
Influence on hypertriglyceridemia
Anti-hypertensive properties
Hunger suppression
Dietary fibres
Micronutrients
(vitamin E and minerals)
Antioxidant properties
Decrease blodd pressure
Lignans
Control on hypertension
Prasad [43]
Control on dyslipidemia
Reduce breast cancer growth
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Conclusion
Flaxseed has nutritional and functional properties. In fact
the content of compounds such as polyunsaturated fatty acids,
essential amino acids, vitamin E, lignans and dietary fibers makes
flaxseed a source to satisfy basic needs in the human diet and health
maintenance.
Healthy properties are related to anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant,
anti-carcinogenic activities and to the lowering of cholesterol, the
decrease of cardiovascular disease and the prevention of diabetes.
However, in state of functional properties, flaxseed contains
low quantities of adverse healthy compounds such as cadmium,
cyanogenic glycosides, inhibitors of trypsin that are commonly
removed through thermal and mechanical processes, including
cooking in microwaves, autoclaving and boiling (Table 2).
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Citation: Bernacchia R, Preti R and Vinci G. Chemical Composition and Health Benefits of Flaxseed. Austin J
Nutri Food Sci. 2014;2(8): 1045.