From ancient crop to modern superfood, camelina offers sustainable solutions for healthier pigs and better meat products.
Imagine a humble oilseed crop, once grown by Neolithic farmers, now poised to address some of the most pressing challenges in modern agriculture. This is the story of Camelina sativa, a plant now known as "false flax" or "gold of pleasure," which is making a remarkable comeback.
Camelina thrives in marginal lands with minimal resources
Enhances pig immune response and reduces inflammation
Transforms by-products into functional feeds
This isn't just a story about animal nutrition; it's about creating a more sustainable, healthier food system from farm to fork, where waste becomes value and functional feeds produce better meat products.
Camelina sativa is a hardy, fast-growing annual plant belonging to the Brassicaceae family, making it a relative of more familiar crops like canola and cabbage. Its remarkable resilience allows it to thrive in marginal lands with minimal water, fertilizer, or pesticides, making it an environmentally friendly alternative to more resource-intensive crops 5 .
While camelina has gained attention primarily as a biofuel source, the real excitement now centers on what remains after oil extraction—the protein-rich cake that researchers are transforming into a valuable functional feed.
Camelina's environmental credentials are impressive. As a winter cover crop, it protects soil from erosion, sequesters available soil nitrate that might otherwise pollute waterways, and suppresses weeds 5 . These attributes make it particularly valuable in organic farming systems, where sustainable practices are paramount.
The nutritional profile of camelina co-products is impressive. Camelina press-cake typically contains approximately 35% crude protein, 14% residual oil, and a remarkable fatty acid profile rich in omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs)—particularly alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), which constitutes about 35% of the total fatty acids 5 .
This oil also contains significant amounts of γ-tocopherol (a form of vitamin E with strong antioxidant properties) and various phytosterols 3 .
However, camelina does present a challenge—it contains antinutritional factors including glucosinolates (34.4–36.3 μmol/g), trypsin inhibitors (12–28 TIU/mg), and others that can impart a bitter taste and potentially cause toxicity at high inclusion levels 2 .
| Component | Camelina Expellers (CAE) | Camelina Meal (CAM) |
|---|---|---|
| Crude Protein | ~30-35% | ~35-40% |
| Residual Oil | 10-14% | 2-3% |
| Alpha-linolenic Acid (ALA) | ~30% of oil | ~30% of oil |
| Digestible Energy (Pigs) | ~14.3 MJ/kg DM | ~13.1 MJ/kg DM |
| Amino Acid Profile | Rich in arginine, leucine, valine, lysine | Similar to CAE with better leucine, cysteine digestibility |
| Antinutritional Factors | Glucosinolates, trypsin inhibitors, condensed tannins | Similar to CAE but potentially reduced trypsin inhibitors |
The groundbreaking 2014 study published in PLoS One 3 6 set out to systematically investigate the effects of camelina oil-cakes on fattening pigs.
Standard diet containing 12% sunflower meal
Diet containing 12% camelina oil-cakes
No significant differences in feed intake, weight gain, or feed efficiency between groups 3
Significant reduction in pro-inflammatory markers and increased antioxidant enzymes 3
| Parameter | Control Group (Sunflower Meal) | Camelina Group | Change | Biological Significance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plasma Glucose | Baseline | -18.5% | Significant decrease | Improved metabolic regulation |
| Pro-inflammatory Cytokines | Baseline | Decreased | Significant reduction | Reduced systemic inflammation |
| Antioxidant Enzymes | Baseline | 1.8-3.4x increase | Dramatic upregulation | Enhanced oxidative stress defense |
| Plasma Total Antioxidants | Baseline | +9.02% | Significant increase | Improved systemic antioxidant status |
| Growth Performance | Baseline | No significant difference | Maintained | Non-compromised production |
Understanding how researchers uncover camelina's effects requires familiarity with their experimental toolkit.
| Reagent/Method | Primary Function | Specific Application in Camelina Research |
|---|---|---|
| Camelina Oil-Cakes | Experimental dietary ingredient | Produced by cold-pressing camelina seeds; provides omega-3 PUFA, protein, and other bioactives |
| Isoenergetic/Isoproteic Diets | Experimental control | Ensures any effects are due to camelina composition rather than energy/protein differences |
| Plasma Collection & Analysis | Metabolic assessment | Measures glucose, cholesterol, immunoglobulins, cytokines, and total antioxidant capacity |
| RNA Extraction & Gene Expression Analysis | Molecular mechanism elucidation | Quantifies expression of inflammatory and antioxidant genes (e.g., cytokines, NF-κB, PPAR-γ) |
| Spleen Tissue Sampling | Immune function assessment | Examines tissue-level immune responses and inflammatory status |
| Fatty Acid Methylation & GC Analysis | Lipid profiling | Characterizes fatty acid composition of feeds and tissues |
| Cell Culture Models | In vitro verification | Confirms direct effects of camelina compounds on immune cells |
The combination of these tools allows researchers to move beyond simple observation of growth effects and understand the fundamental physiological mechanisms through which camelina exerts its benefits. The gene expression analyses are particularly crucial for validating the molecular pathways involved in the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects.
In organic pig production, where regulations restrict the use of antibiotics and conventional medications, functional feeds like camelina offer a natural strategy for maintaining herd health 5 9 .
Research has shown that including camelina in phytobiotic mixtures with other medicinal plants like oregano and garlic can positively modulate gut microbiota, reduce pathogenic bacteria like E. coli, and improve the oxidative stability of pork 9 .
The economic case for camelina is equally compelling. As a cover crop that can be integrated into crop rotations, camelina provides environmental services including reduced soil erosion and nitrate sequestration 5 .
The oil commands premium prices for human nutritional applications or biofuel, while the press-cake adds value as a functional feed ingredient. Economic analyses suggest that integrating camelina into organic pig production can be viable when pigs are marketed at approximately $2.4 per kg of live weight and camelina oil at $3.59 per kg or more 5 .
However, challenges remain. The dose-dependent effects of camelina require careful management—while 12% inclusion showed benefits in fattening pigs 3 , other studies have found reduced growth performance at similar or higher inclusion levels in weaned piglets 2 .
This variability highlights the importance of tailoring inclusion rates to specific animal classes and production goals. Future research should focus on optimizing processing methods to reduce antinutritional factors while preserving beneficial compounds, potentially through fractionation techniques that concentrate protein and health-promoting components into specific particle size fractions 4 .
The story of camelina represents a broader shift toward circular agriculture, where by-products become resources rather than waste, and where functional feeds contribute to both animal welfare and human health.
The remarkable finding that camelina by-products can reprogram immune function and metabolism in pigs illustrates nature's complexity—sometimes the most valuable solutions come from rediscovering ancient crops and applying modern scientific understanding.
As research continues to unravel the multifaceted benefits of camelina and other innovative feed ingredients, we move closer to an agricultural system that produces not just more food, but better food—more nutritious, more sustainable, and aligned with the welfare of animals, farmers, consumers, and the planet.