Flax compounds; linatine, cyanogenic glycosides, Cd and mucilage are discussed.
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The difficulty in attributing bioactivity to flaxseed compounds is discussed.
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A systematic nomenclature of 21 flaxseed orbitides (cyclolinopeptides) is proposed.
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The biological activity and ribosomal origin of flaxseed orbitides are reviewed.
Flaxseed (Linum usitatissimum L.) is an oilseed used in industrial and natural health products. Flaxseed accumulates many biologically active compounds and elements including linolenic acid, linoleic acid, lignans, cyclic peptides, polysaccharides, alkaloids, cyanogenic glycosides, and cadmium. Most biological and clinical studies of flaxseed have focused on extracts containing α-linolenic acid or lignan. Other flaxseed compounds have received less attention and their activity is not well described. The benefits of consumption of whole flaxseed fractions such as oil, mucilage and protein indicate that consideration of the entire portfolio of bioactives present is required to associate biological activity with specific compounds.
