Fatty acid composition of total lipids from needles and cultured calluses of conifers Pinus sylvestris L., Picea pungens Engelm., Pinus koraiensis Siebold & Zucc., and Larix sibirica Ledeb.

Abstract

A comparative analysis of the fatty acid (FA) composition of lipids in the calluses and needles of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris), white spruce (Picea pungens), Korean pine (Pinus koraiensis), and Siberian larch (Larix sibirica) has been carried out using the method of gas-liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry. In all cases, the total content of monounsaturated FA in the lipids of callus was higher than in the lipids of needles. Oleic acid (C18:1) represented a significant part of the composition of these acids. It was established that the lipids of callus of the studied species are characterized by a lower relative content and a smaller variety of Δ5-acids than the lipids of needles of the same species. It was shown that species-specificity of FA composition of the lipids of needles remains the same in the plant tissues grown in culture in vitro and does not depend on the material used to initiate the callus. Qualitative differences in the FA composition of the callus in culture and the needles of whole plant were detected. It was shown that the embryogenetic ability of the callus is associated with high content of oleic acid.