Flaxseed oil isone of the richest plant sources of unsaturated fatty acids, especially alpha-linolenic acid (C18:3, ALA) ( Bhatty, 1995 ). In addition to ALA, flaxseed provides substantial amounts of phenolic compounds including lignans and phenolic acids ( Eliasson et al., 2003 ).
How is flaxseed oil extracted?
This work compares the yield and quality of the flaxseed oil obtained by individually optimized supercritical carbon dioxide extraction (SCE), three-phase partitioning (TPP), solvent extraction and the reported values of cold press extraction.
Which countries grow flaxseed?
Flaxseed is one of the richest plant sources of the ¦Ø-3 fatty acid i.e. ¦Á-linolenic acid (ALA) (Gebauer et al. 2006; Tonon et al. 2011) and lignans (phytoestrogens) (Singh et al. 2011). The important flaxseed growing countries are Canada, China, United States, India and Ethiopia.
Where did flaxseed come from?
Flax was first introduced in United States by colonists, primarily to produce fiber for clothing (Laux 2011). Every part of the flaxseed plant is utilized commercially, either directly or after processing. The stem yields good quality fibers having high strength and durability (Singh et al. 2011).