Naturally grown rucola,Eruca sativa,contains more α-linolenic acid than conventionally grown rucola

Abstract

The ratio of dietary n-6/n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids is higher in the modern Western meal when compared with that of the Paleolithic era. Evidences have been accumulating that the extremely high ratio of dietary n-6/n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids increases the risk of disease and the deterioration of physical conditions among humans. In this study,the ratio of linoleic acid (C18:2,n-6) and α-linolenic acid (C18:3,n-3) of rucola,Eruca sativa,was compared between naturally grown samples and conventional farming products (n=3 for each). We found that the naturally grown rucola contained significantly higher amount of α-linolenic acid (p=0.026),resulting in the lower ratio of linoleic acid and α-linolenic acid than the conventional (p=0.016). This finding suggests that vegetables cultured in conventional farming method could decrease the health promotion effects that the vegetables originally possess in natural environment.