Title
Flaxseed cake – a sustainable source of antioxidant and antibacterial extracts
Authors
ANDREEA I. PAG DANA G. RADUDAN DRAGANESCU MARCEL I. POPA and CECILIA SIRGHIE

Received March 19, 2013
Published Volume 48 Issue 3-4 March-April
Keywords flaxseed cake, lignans, polyphenols, HPLC, antimicrobial activity

Abstract
Flaxseed cake, a by-product of the oil cold pressing technology, was subjected to extraction and acidic hydrolysis to obtain extracts rich in polyphenols and especially in lignans. The second step was to assess the extracts in order to evaluate their potential to be used as additives in the food and cosmetics industries. The identification and quantification of secoisolariciresinol (SECO), matairesinol (MATA) and lariciresinol (LARI) in the said extracts was accomplished using the HPLC method. The total polyphenol content, radical scavenging activity and antimicrobial activity were determined. The total polyphenol content for the samples extracted with 60% ethanol, hydrolyzed at 80 °C, was comparable to that of the extracts obtained from spices or medicinal plants. The radical scavenging ability of the extract correlates well with the total polyphenol content and is comparable to that of common synthetic phenolic antioxidants used in foods and cosmetics. Flaxseed cake extracts also contain up to 7.08 mg SECO/L, 0.06 mg MATA/L and 0.03 mg LARI/L. Both crude and hydrolysed extracts exhibited antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Escherichia coli. The ability to extract agro fine chemicals from flaxseed cake provides the flaxseed industry with value-added co-products.