New seed oils of Boraginaceae rich in stearidonic and gamma-linolenic acids from the Maghreb region

The main goal of this work was to find new seed oils rich in γ-linolenic acid (GLA, 18:3n-6) and stearidonic acid (SDA, 18:4n-3) as alternatives to the commercially available oils, such as those from fish and borage. To this end, seeds of selected Boraginaceae species growing wild in the North Africa region (Maghreb) were collected and analyzed. The key finding is that two Echium species have been identified as new sources of valuables fatty acids (FAs): Echium sericeum and Echium parviflorum, showing 18.3% GLA and 17.3% SDA on total FAs respectively. Both of them could be cultivated to provide functional oils, polyunsaturated FA (PUFA) concentrates or pure FAs, among other uses. It is also noteworthy that the seed oils of Borago officinalis and Echium plantagineum gathered in different locations showed different GLA and SDA percentages, respectively.