Eight different rapeseed cultivars (Brassica napus L.) have been dehul
led by hand. The contents of glucosinolates, sinapine, condensed tanni
ns and inositol phosphates have been investigated in the resulting fra
ctions of dehulled seeds and hulls as well as in the whole seeds by HP
LC methods and a spectroscopical method for condensed tannins. After d
ehulling the content of glucosinolates as well as the content of sinap
ine and inositol phosphates increased significantly (P = 0.01) in the
seeds of the different cultivars by 2.0 to 35.0%, 14.1 to 57.1% and 11
.9 to 38.2%, respectively. The content of condensed tannins decreased
by 26.0 to 81.2% after the dehulling process. In most of the cultivars
the enrichment of antinutritive compounds corresponded to the share o
f hulls separated from the seeds. Only in the case of condensed tannin
s unproportional losses in the dehulled seeds were observed.