Characterization of Brassica fruticulosa seeds

The structure and vitamin E (tocopherol and tocotrienol), fatty acid and phytosterol content and composition of seeds of Brassica fruticulosa Cyr. (Brassicaceae) were characterized. Seed size and elevated content of γ-tocotrienol, and γ- tocopherol and low of α- tocopherol can be useful for distinguishing seeds of B. fruticolosa from those of Sicilian Brassica sect. Brassica. The concentration of the tocotrienol is about one third of the vitamin E content. This profile makes this wild species worth to be recovered as food source and its germplasm preserved in a gene bank.