Lihua Han · Plant Biotechnology Journal 2020 · multi-location transgenic crop field trial · n=?

High level accumulation of EPA and DHA in field‐grown transgenic Camelina – a multi‐territory evaluation of TAG accumulation and heterogeneity

Cited 68 times in the scientific literature.

Level 5 - mechanism / opinion, no new human data

Level 5 by design analogy: non-clinical agricultural transgenic plant field experiment with no human data

OpenAlex W3017103971 · doi:10.1111/pbi.13385 · record verified 2026-08-30

What was done

Transgenic *Camelina sativa* carrying a biosynthetic construct (DHA2015.1) was grown in field trials across distinct geographical locations in the UK, USA, and Canada. Researchers analyzed the accumulation of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) across seed triacylglycerol species and assayed non-seed tissues (leaf, stem, flower, anther, capsule shell) to verify tissue specificity.

What was found

The abstract reports no exact numeric yields or percentages. It notes that the distribution of EPA and DHA across triacylglycerol species followed a consistent trend regardless of the agricultural environment. Neither EPA nor DHA was detected in non-seed tissues, confirming seed-specific accumulation.

Why it matters

Demonstrating stable, seed-specific EPA and DHA production across diverse international field environments supports the feasibility of transgenic oilseed crops as land-based alternatives to ocean-derived fish oils.

Limits

The abstract provides no quantitative data on total lipid yield, individual fatty acid percentages, or crop performance metrics. Long-term multi-generational stability, scalability under commercial farming practices, and non-target ecological impacts were not detailed in the text.

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