A comparison of lipid components of the fresh and dead leaves and pneumatophores of the mangrove Avicennia marina

Abstract

The component hydrocarbons, sterols, alcohols, monobasic, α,ω-dibasic and ω-hydroxy acids of the fresh hand decayed leaves and the pneumatophores of the mangrove Avicennia marina are reported in detail. From the quantitative comparisons which can be drawn, relative changes in the lipid classes occurring during leaf decay can be highlighted. These base-line data are important to our understanding of inputs to marine intertidal sediments. During leaf decay the only significant changes were a reduction in the total absolute concentrations of monobasic acids due largely to a decrease in concentration of the C 18 polyunsaturated fatty acids, and an enhancement of the concentrations of the long-chain monobasic acids, ω-hydroxy acids and α,ω-dibasic acids. This resistance to degradation shown by the cutin derived acids (α,ω-dibasic, ω-hydroxy and long-chain monobasic acids) relative to the cellular and wax derived lipids may allow these cutin components to be used as quantitative markers of A. marina in mangrove associated sediments.