The response of rapeseed cultivar hydromel to nitrogen fertilization: chemical composition and antioxidant capacity
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Instituto Politécnico de Bragança,
Universidade de Aveiro, Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT), European
Union, QREN, FEDER and COMPETE for funding the QOPNA Research Unit (project
PEst-C/QUI/UI0062/2011).
Winter rapeseed (Brassicanapus L.) is a species of the Brassicaceae family and an
important agricultural crop in many cold temperate countries, where most of other plants do not grow. It is mainly cultivated in Europe, Asia, North America and Australia, but has a limited acreage in Portugal. The growing demand from rapeseed is dueto a progressive increase in its quality for human and animal consumption and mainly because is being promoted throughout the world as energy crop for the production of biofuels.
Many studies have shown that both growth and yield of rapeseed are enhanced
significantly by high doses of applied nitrogen. However, an excessive nitrogen rate could reduce the nutritional quality of seeds and can negatively affect the farmer economy and environment.
Rapeseed and its products (vegetable oil) contain a high content of bioactive compounds such as phenolic acids, phytosterols, tocopherols, flavonoids, among others. These compounds have demonstrated antiradical activity, which has been associated to the
prevention and treatment of several diseases such as cancer, diabetes, hypertension and
degenerative diseases(Aizheimer and Parkinson). In this context, rapeseed compounds have been used as natural antioxidants in several industries such as feed, cosmetic and pharmaceutical.
Winter rapeseed (Brassicanapus L.) is a species of the Brassicaceae family and an
important agricultural crop in many cold temperate countries, where most of other plants do not grow. It is mainly cultivated in Europe, Asia, North America and Australia, but has a limited acreage in Portugal. The growing demand from rapeseed is dueto a progressive increase in its quality for human and animal consumption and mainly because is being promoted throughout the world as energy crop for the production of biofuels.
Many studies have shown that both growth and yield of rapeseed are enhanced
significantly by high doses of applied nitrogen. However, an excessive nitrogen rate could reduce the nutritional quality of seeds and can negatively affect the farmer economy and environment. [J ,4J
Rapeseed and its products(vegetable oil) contain a high content of bioactive compounds such as phenolic acids, phytosterols, tocopherols, flavonoids, among others. These compounds have demonstrated antiradical activity, which has been associated to the
prevention and treatment of several diseases such as cancer, diabetes, hypertension and
degenerative diseases(Aizheimer and Parkinson). In this context, rapeseed compounds have been used as natural antioxidants in several industries such as feed, cosmetic and pharmaceutical.
