Structural and Compositional Characteristics of Canaryseed (Phalaris canariensis L.)

• Published in: Journal of agricultural and food chemistry Vol. 45; no. 8; pp. 3049 - 3055
• Main Authors: Abdel-Aal, El-Sayed M, Hucl, Pierre J, Sosulski, Frank W
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC American Chemical Society 18.08.1997
• Subjects: Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions; Biological and medical sciences; Cereal and baking product industries; Chemical constitution; Economic plant physiology; Food industries; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; GRAINE; PELOS VEGETALES; PHALARIS; PLANT HAIRS; POIL VEGETAL; SEED MORPHOLOGY; SEED SPICULES; SEEDS; SEMILLA; Monocotyledones; Gramineae; Angiospermae; Phalaris canariensis; Cereal; Spermatophyta; Chemical composition; Cereal crop
• ISSN: 0021-8561; 1520-5118
• DOI: 10.1021/jf970100x

Canaryseed (Phalaris canariensis L.) has small elliptical grains with hulls, which are covered with very fine silicious spicules that are severe skin irritants and potentially carcinogenic. Because chemical treatments and a glabrous genotype are now available for eliminating the spicules, the chemical composition of the dehulled groat was determined to evaluate its potential food and industrial applications. Canaryseed groats contained 61.0% starch, which comprised small polygonal granules with diameters of 1.5−3.5 μm. The groats averaged 18.7% protein compared to 15.0% in wheat, and the proportions of prolamin and glutelin in the protein averaged 77.7%, exceeding that in the control wheat protein of 73.5%. Canaryseed proteins were more deficient in lysine and threonine than wheat proteins but were very rich in cystine, tryptophan, and phenylalanine. For a cereal, canaryseed groats were very high in crude fat, 8.7%, and purified total lipid, 11.0%, containing 55% linoleic, 29% oleic, 11% palmitic, and 2.5% linolenic acids. The groat and roller-milled flours were low in dietary fiber, soluble sugars, and total ash. The composition of small granule starch and gluten-like proteins, rich in tryptophan, suggests unique functional and nutritional properties for canaryseed groats. Keywords: Canaryseed; seed morphology; composition; amino acids; protein fractions; fatty acids; sugars