Open AccessStudies on Seed‐Oil Triglycerides
Author(s) -
Gurr Michael I.,
Blades Jon,
Appleby Robert S.
Publication year - 1972
Publication title -
european journal of biochemistry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1432-1033
pISSN - 0014-2956
DOI - 10.1111/j.1432-1033.1972.tb01997.x
Subject(s) - erucic acid , degree of unsaturation , triglyceride , fatty acid , oleic acid , food science , phospholipid , chemistry , composition (language) , biochemistry , botany , biology , cholesterol , organic chemistry , linguistics , philosophy , membrane
1 Until 10–12 days after flowering the lipid of Crumbé seeds accounts for less than 1% of the total seen weight. Most of this lipid is phospholipid and glycolipid, the fatty acid composition of which resembles that of green tissue. 2 After 10–12 days the oil content of the seed rises rapidly, due mainly to the synthesis of new triglyceride. Oil synthesis levels off at about 30 days when the oil comprises 35% of the weight of the seed. 3 The fatty acids characteristic of green tissue, C 16:0 , C 18:2 and C 18:3 decrease in proportion to the total fatty acids as the seeds mature. Erucic acid, which is not present before 6 days rises rapidly from 8 days to becomes the major seed oil fatty acid in the mature seeds (53%). Oleic acid and C 22:1 increase in proportion reaching a maximum at 12 days 4 The triglycerides of the mature seed oil are composed of 5 major molecular species, having 2, 3, 3, 4 and 5 double bonds per molecule, respectively. 5 Position two is occupied entirely by C 18 fatty acids with Δ9 unsaturation, namely C 18:1 , C 18:2 and C 18:3 . No erucic acid occurs at position 2. The acids at position two are cleaved preferentially by the lipase from Geotrichum candidum.6 Position 1 is occupied preferentially by saturated acids or erucic acid. Position 3 is occupied almost entirely by erucic acid.