Sterol lipids in finger millet (Eleusine coracana)

Neutral lipids, glycolipids, and phospholipids (1.3%, 0.25%, and 0.10% of seed weight) were isolated from the total lipids (chloroform‐methanol) of finger millet seeds (Eleusine coracana) , and four sterol‐containing lipids further isolated from neutral and glycolipids by preparative column and thin layer chromatography. On seed weight, these comprised: free sterols (S) 0.091%, sterol esters (SE) 0.013%, sterol glycosides (SG) 0.025%, acyl sterol glycosides (ASG) 0.020%, and total 0.149%. The major fatty acids, totaling 85–90%, were the same in both esterified sterols, but the proportions varied: 16:0, 18:1, and 18:2 comprising 24, 49, and 17% in SE (calculated iodine value 75) and 43, 36, and 7% in ASG (calculated iodine value 46). All four sterol lipids contained 80–84% of β‐sitosterol, the remainder being stigmasterol. The only sugar in SG and ASG was D‐glucose. It is deduced that the major representative species are: SE, β‐sitosterol oleate/palmitate; SG, β‐D‐glucopyranosyl‐(l → 3)‐β‐sitosterol; and ASG, 6–0‐palmitoyl‐β‐D‐glucopyranosyl‐(l → 3)‐β‐sitosterol.