Occurrence and characterization of oils rich in gamma-linolenic acid part II: fatty acids and squalene from Macaronesian Echium leaves.
Leaves from 25 Macaronesian Echium (Boraginaceae) species have been surveyed for hydrocarbon compounds. These plants were previously reported as the major source of gamma-linolenic acid so far found in nature. In addition, six European Echium species and the common Borago officinalis have been analysed for comparative purposes. High squalene amounts were found in all Echium plants from the Macaronesia, ranging from 3.73%, in E. simplex to 20.1% in E. fastousum. Squalene was almost absent from all European Echium species, and the same is true for B. officinalis. The relatively high oil content (2.27%) in leaves of E. fastuosum raises the total squalene amount to about 0.46% within this tissue. The main fatty acid component in the leaf was alpha-linolenic acid (ALA, 18:3omega3), ranging in the Macaronesian Echium from 9.32% in E. acanthocarpum to 54.45% in E. simplex. Possible utilisation of these plants as a commercial source of squalene and hypotheses about its physiological role in the plant are discussed.
Guil-Guerrero
J L
JL
Departamento de Ingeniería Química, Universidad de Almería, Spain. jlguil@ualm.es
García-Maroto
F
F
Campra-Madrid
P
P
Gómez-Mercado
F
F
D001266:Atlantic Islands; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000032:analysis*; D019684:Magnoliopsida / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000145:classification; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000737:chemistry; D010938:Plant Oils / Q000737:chemistry*; D013030:Spain; D013185:Squalene / Q000032:analysis*; D017965:gamma-Linolenic Acid / Q000032:analysis*
D005227:Fatty Acids; D010938:Plant Oils; D017965:gamma-Linolenic Acid; D013185:Squalene