IMPROVED OILSEED BRASSICA BEARING AN ENDOGENOUS OIL WITH DESIRABLE LEVELS OF UNSATURATED AND SATURATED FATTY ACIDS

摘要

An improved Brassica oilseed, an improved plant capable of forming the same,and an improved edible endogenous vegetable oildereived from oilseed Brassica are provided. The edible endogenous vegetableoil of the present invention possesses an improved distributionof fatty acids following crushing and extraction in the absence ofhydrogenation or other chemical or physical modification. Thealpha-linolenic acid content is less than 3.5 percent by weight, the oleicacid content is at least 77 percent by weight, the total saturated fatty acidcontent is no more than 4.5 percent by weight, and the erucic acid content isno more than 2 percent by weight based upon the total fattyacid content. Each of the recited characteristics of the oil is controlled bygenetic means and surprisingly is simultaneously expressed (e.g.,in the field under conventional oilseed Brassica growing conditions) in theabsence of cancellation as the result of the formation of the otherrecited traits. The improved Brassica oilseed is capable of forming upongermination a plant having satisfactory agronomic characteristicswhich yields following self-pollination Brassica oilseeds that possess thespecified improved distribution of fatty acids within the oil that ispresent therein.