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Commercial Success of ECLAIR Programme
AGRE-0039: Seed oils for new technical applications - SONCA |
AGRE-0039: Seed oils for new technical applications - SONCA
Science Background
A large proportion of the global vegetable oil production is used for food, although significant amounts are used in existing applications for non-food products such as lubricants, surfactants and paints. Such applications, from a technical viewpoint, depend on the characteristics of the oils and of their fatty acids in particular. These can differ from plant species to plant species in the relative amounts, chain length and degree of saturation (number and position of double bonds). At present products from specific plants that are imported into the EU (such as oil palm, soya or castor bean) occupy some industrial niches.
Objectives
This project aimed to bring together for the first time actively ongoing European R&D in the field of new and/or improved seed oil uses for chemical applications, in particular for the production of surfactant material. Vegetable oils were to be produced that could be used as raw materials within industries that currently use petrochemicals. This would be achieved by increasing the local availability of vegetable oils suitable for industrial uses.
Significant changes and results since end of ECLAIR
High erucic acid (60% C22:1) and oleic acid (80% C18:1) rapeseed and high oleic acid (87% C18:1) low stearic acid sunflower established by this project are undergoing trials. Henkel KGaA, Germany, the commercial participant in this project, has been granted two patents for this sunflower oil, as well as one for use of derivatives as surfactants and another relating to use of vernolic acid. Although high seed yield (2 t/ha) and seed oil content (about 23%) coriander has been bred, no commercial market has been established and research has discontinued. Research on Euphorbia lagascae is continuing under a FAIR programme concerted action that aims to establish long-term development strategies for its commercialization. Currently, the cost of raw materials from oilseed crops is too high for them to compete with petrochemicals for production of bulk chemicals. In addition, the cost of testing new substances from novel oilseed crops can be prohibitive due to the legal requirement for toxicological and ecological tests in order to establish environmental impact and social acceptance. However, Henkel is interested in continuing research on the sunflower oil, once higher quantities of raw material are available. The University of Udine (Italy) has also continued research into sunflower and other oilseed crops (see above, including Crambe) for use as biofuels and lubricants, funded by the European Commission and Italian research programmes. Two new sunflower high oleic hybrids: Friuli and Carnia are now under registration. Justus-Liebig-Universität (Germany) went on to participate in an AIR project that introduced sequences from Cuphea spp. into sunflower in order to develop genotypes with very low levels of stearic acid and with a content of medium chain fatty acids.
Results
At end of this ECLAIR project
Two approaches were taken in this research coordinated by Institut für Pflanzenbau und Pflanzenzüchtung, Georg-August-Universität, Germany. The first took advantage of current developments in plant genetics to select varieties of established oil crops (rapeseed and sunflower) that could produce oil of the quality required for industrial applications. The second attempted to improve the agronomy of three plant species (coriander, Euphorbia lagascae and Cuphea) that have the capacity to produce oils containing high proportions of unusual components such as petroselinic and vernolic acids, as well as medium chain fatty acids.
High erucic acid genotypes of rapeseed (60% C22:1) were established by conventional breeding strategies, as well as by selection in doubled haploid populations. Agrobacterium tumefaciens mediated transformation methods were developed for further improvement of oil quality by transfer of elongase or acyltransferase genes. One variety has been registered in Germany and France. Other rapeseed forms with up to 80% oleic acid had been produced. Experimental sunflower hybrids with C18:1 as high as 87% were produced, some revealing an improved yield potential and disease resistance as compared to commercial hybrids. However, more work was required in this area. Coriander genotypes were selected with promising high seed yields (about 2 t/ha) and seed oil contents (about 23%). The agricultural potentials of this species were confirmed in field scale productions (total of 30 ha). Yields, however, dropped to half in some trials due to disease epidemics caused by the bacterium Pseudomonas syringae. With the establishment of indehiscence in Euphorbia lagascae mutants, a high production potential was established with seed yields of more than 2.5 t/ha, high seed oil (42%) and vernolic acid contents (60% of total fatty acid content in the oil). Registered varieties may be ready within another 3 to 5 years. For Cuphea it became apparent that economic production under Mediterranean conditions would not be possible unless stable non-shedding genotypes become available - despite extensive efforts these have not been found so far.
The plant genetic materials developed in this project were to be further worked up by the private breeding partners to establish cultivar status and enable profitable agronomic production of the desired seed oils.
Henkel tested all the seed oils. Intermediates were synthesized for use in surfactants (ethoxylates, sulphates or fatty alcohol polyglycosides) and products characterized for solubility or biodegradability, with formulations tested for commercial applications.
Current position
The two breeding companies involved in this project, Serasem (France) and Norddeutsche Pflanzenzucht (Germany), are continuing research into high erucic acid rapeseed. Further research using oleic acid rapeseed mutants derived from this project is ongoing at the University of Göttingen in close collaboration with the German breeders, funded by GFP (Gemeinschaft zur Förderung der privaten deutschen Pflanzenzüchtung) and FNR (Fachagentur für Nachwachsende Rohstoffe), Germany. In vitro tissue culture and molecular fingerprinting techniques have been used to accelerate breeding progress of high oleic acid sunflower hybrids. These lines have been incorporated in the breeding programme of the project partners and are currently undergoing official registration trials.
Extraction of the fatty oils from coriander fruits is technically feasible by screw pressing, however, there are still problems with obtaining sufficient quantity of these oils. Although these oils are potentially valuable, a market has not been identified, thus research has not been continued.
Research initiated under this project is continuing under FAIR6-CT98-4460: The development of Euphorbia lagascae as a new oil crop within the European Community coordinated by ADAS Bridget Research Centre, UK.
This concerted action brings together research workers from the ECLAIR project and an AIR project ( AIR2-CT93-1817: Vegetable oils with specific fatty acids (VOSFA) agricultural and industrial development of novel oilseed crops) to summarize the current state of knowledge on all stages in the production chain. The results will help develop sound and feasible long-term development strategies for commercialization of the crop.
Impact
Commercial
Opportunities for the exploitation of the oleochemical seed oils from common raw materials like sunflower and rapeseed oil, and the optimised qualities thereof, differ from those for seed oils from under-utilized plants, such as coriander and E. lagascae containing unusual fatty acids.
Sunflower oil containing 85% oleic acid is of particular interest for oleochemical applications because derivatives will be resistant to oxidation. Unsaturated fatty alcohols produced from this oil can be used as intermediates for preparation of surfactants and potential applications in consumer products have been evaluated. It was found that sunflower oils with low levels of stearic acid are more suitable for commercial applications. This research has resulted in two key patents, one dealing with unsaturated fatty alcohol from high oleic, low stearic sunflower oil (DE-P-44 22 858.9-43) and one dealing with esters for lubricant applications (DE-P-44 44 137.1) from the same raw material. However, the price of the raw material is currently too high for it to be able to compete with petrochemicals.
A FAIR concerted action (see above) is assessing the suitability of E. lagascae for commercialization for the benefit of European agriculture and the oleochemical industry. A development programme will be prepared in order to overcome current limitations, and commercially sustainable applications for the crop will be identified. 265 kg of oil from E. lagascae was produced by the AIR project in a pilot plant, reflecting the technical ease of processing this seed. The quality of the recovered oil is good. However, the seeds contain diterpenes that act as skin irritants, so specific safety measures have to be initiated.
Derivatives or polymers from under-utilized fatty acids such as petroselinic acid (coriander) and vernolic acid (E. lagascae) are regarded as new materials, according to European chemical regulations (Chemikaliengesetz - ChemG). This means that toxicological and ecological tests are obligatory at a very early stage in development of new products, in order to establish environmental impact and social acceptance. The cost of testing new substances is prohibitively high (see Table below) when developing novel bulk chemicals such as surfactants.
Costs of testing new materials according to Chem G
|
Amount of substance |
Cost |
|
|
more than |
10 kg |
50,000 DM (0.025 MEuro) |
|
100 kg |
150,000 DM (0.075 MEuro) |
|
|
1 t |
450,000 DM (0.225 MEuro) |
|
|
100 t |
1 million DM (0.5 MEuro) |
|
|
1000 t |
3-4 million DM (1.5-2 MEuro) |
|
Henkel were granted four patents as a result of this project:
Associated
University of Udine (Italy) a partner in this project and AGRE-0029, also participated in further EC-funded research including CAMAR-CT91-0118: Improving water valorisation in sunflower crops by the creation of drought tolerant varieties (in campo selection using agronomical criteria, hybrids production) and AIR3-CT94-2231: Research for the adaptation of oilseeds crops management to the new requirements of the Common Agricultural Policy: crop competitivity, seed quality, environment. Other research relating to sunflower includes:
They are collaborating with Energie pulite 2000, a society established in 1994 in the Friuli region to develop production of biofuels and biolubricants (Helianthus annuus, Brassica oleracea, Ricinus communis, Crambe abyssinica, Brassica carinata), industrial uses of biomass for power production (Sorghum, Kenaf, Miscantus), inuline production (Helianthus tuberosus, Cicorium intybus) and other new oil crops.
A German partner in this project, Justus-Liebig-Universität, participated in a project coordinated by CNRS, France AIR3-CT94-2003: Sunflower oil for industrial applications (SOFIA). This project which runs from December 1994 to 1999, aims to develop transgenic sunflower plants producing oil with novel qualities, suitable for non-food industrial applications. In particular, genotypes producing very low amounts of stearic acid and medium chain fatty acids are being developed, by introducing genes from Cuphea spp., and are undergoing field trials.
Research, coordinated by PPM EV (Germany), under AIR3-CT94-2199: The use of enzymes in the processing of new oilseeds (UEPNO) to industrial raw material investigated the enzymatic extraction of oils from Calendula officinalis, Coriandum sativum, Crambe abyssinica and Euphorbia lagascae.
Further Information
Pascual-Villalobos, M.J., Röbbelen, G. and Correal, E. (1994) Production and evaluation of indehiscent mutant genotypes in Euphorbia lagascae. Ind. Crops Prod. 3, 129-143.
Contacts
ADAS
Author
CNRS
CPRO-DLO
Georg August Universitat
Henkel
Lembke
PPM EV
University Udine
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Updated
by CPL Press:
03/07/2007
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