Fatty-acid composition of some mangroves

Abstract

India has 3% of the world’s mangrove area [1]. In Tami Nadu, it has an area of 21 sq. km, and the Pichavaram mangrove is one of the recognized tropical ecosystems because it is used in folkl medicine for the treatment of several diseases [2, 3]. Fatty acids are the constituents of all plant cells, where they function as membrane components, storage products, metabolites, and as a source of energy [4], and they also important nutrient substances and metabolites in living organisms [5]. The aim of this investigation was to determine the fatty acid composition of some mangroves by gas chromatography. The fatty acid composition of eight mangrove species was determined, and their relative percentage are presented in Table 1. The fatty acids, viz., myristic, pentadecanoic, palmitic, heptadecanoic, oleic, linoleic, and linolenic acids, were found in all the plant species tested. When compared to other tested plants, the highest relative percentage of oleic acid (16.62%), linolenic acid (16.32%), arachidic acid (2.06%), and pentadecanoic acid (1.53%) were detected in A. officinalis; myristic acid (8.58%) and heptadecanoic acid (1.27%) in B. cylindrica; tridecanoic acid (0.76%) in C. decandra; linoleic acid (12.03%), behenic acid (1.38%), and heneicosanoic acid (0.03%) in A. corniculatum; palmitic acid (61.45%) in L. racemosa; lauric acid (38.58%) and stearic acid (1.76%) were detected in A. ilicifolius. Lauric acid has been found in all the plant species tested except A. officinalis; tridecanoic acid was not found in R. apiculata, R. mucronata, and A. corniculatum; nonadecanoic acid was found only in B. cylindrica and L. racemosa. Arachidic and behenic acids were not found in A. corniculatum and A. ilicifolius, respectively. Analysis of the fatty acid composition by gas chromatography revealed the presence of higher amounts of saturated fatty acids than the unsaturated fatty acids. The highest relative percentage of palmitic acid (61.5%) was detected in L. recemosa. Palmitic acid seems to be a major fatty acid common to wax esters of A. officinalis, B. gymnorhiza, A. ilicifolius, R. mucronata,