Physiochemical Properties, Lipid Breakdown, β-Carotenoids, Tocopherols, Vitamins, Amino and Fatty Acid Profiles of Soxhlet Extracted Oil from Different Garden Cress Seed (<i>Lepidium sativum</i> L.) Genotypes in Ethiopia

Abstract

IntroductionGarden cress (Lepidium sativum L.) seed, of Brassicaceae family (Cruciferae) , besides commonly cultivated in India, North America, western Asia and some parts of Europe, is well established crop in some parts of Africa. Specifically considered an annual, erect herb farmed across different regions/soil types across regions of Ethiopia, the garden cress is considered a culinary vegetable edible for its seeds 1) , which are physically characterised by small size, oval shaped, smooth textured and brownish-red colour 2) . Garden cress seeds comprise important/medicinally enriched essential oils 3) , with antimicrobial and antifungal efficacy 1,4,5) . Due to the high nutritional and functional content, garden cress seeds help to fortify foods 2,6) . Moreover, oil crops remain the second most important source of edible calories after cereals 7) , producing millions of metric