Oil and protein content of the seeds of some pasture legumes

Abstract

Trifolium species contained 3.5–19.4% oil and 28.8–46.7% protein. The degree of unsaturation of the oil differed between the species, but T. subterraneum was found to have both a high oil content and a high degree of unsaturation (74%). Differences between cultivars of T. subterraneum in oil composition were small and an average of 51% linoleic acid was found. The oil resembles that of cottonseed and T. subterraneum could have worth-while potential as an edible oil seed crop. Nine Medicago species had oil contents of 3.3–15.9% and protein contents of 30.6–48.9%. Thirteen Onobrychis species had oil and protein contents in the ranges 6.5–17.7% and 35.5–40.0% respectively. The oil from these 22 species differed in both fatty acid composition and degree of unsaturation, with large proportions of linolenic acid in most species. Trigonella coelesyriaca contained 5.2% oil and 30.0% protein. Ornithopus compressus contained 37.7% protein and 13.3% oil with low linolenic acid but 6% erucic acid.