Fatty acid composition and oil content of seeds from perilla (Perilla frutescens (L.) var. frutescens) germplasm of Republic of Korea

Abstract

Perilla (Perilla frutescens (L.) var. frutescens) is an oilseed crop that produces a large amount of α-linolenic acid (ALA, 18:3), an ω-3 fatty acid in seeds. Perilla is also a fragrant leafy herb with great health benefits. To develop value-added perilla crop, we surveyed the fatty acid composition and oil content of 87 germplasms accessions maintained at Republic of Korea. Our results show that ALA is the major fatty acid, ranging from 47 to 64%, followed by linoleic acid (LA, 18:2, an ω-6 fatty acid) from 10 to 24% and the oleic acid (OA, 18:1, an ω-9 fatty acid) from 9 to 20%. The seed oil content among accessions ranges from 17 to 42.7%. To access if the different fatty acid profile and oil content among germplasms are associated with changes in key genes, we compare the sequences encoding fatty acid desaturase 2 (FAD2) and fatty acid desaturase 3 (FAD3) responsible for LA and ALA synthesis, respectively. Besides, we examine the sequence of diacylglycerol acyltransferase 1 (DGAT1), a key enzyme in determining oil content. We do not find major changes in FAD2 or FAD3 associated with different fatty acid profiles. We discover a change in DGAT1 that might associate a low oil content in seeds.