Lipid and fatty acid composition of females and eggs of Meloidogyne incognita and M. arenaria

Abstract

1. 1. Adult females of Meloidogyne incognita and M. arenaria contained 46 and 40 per cent lipid whereas eggs contained 64 and 67 per cent lipit, respectively, on a dry weight basis. 2. 2. In nematodes of both species polar lipid accounted for around 9–11 per cent of the total lipid in females and 6–8 per cent in eggs. 3. 3. Qualitatively the same fatty acids occurred in nematodes of both species, although differences in relative quantities of certain fatty acids appeared in females and eggs between the two species. Relative quantities of certain fatty acids appeared to differ between females and eggs within a nematode species also. 4. 4. The major fatty acid in females and eggs of both M. incognita and M. arenaria was vaccenic acid (18:1 ω7) comprising 96–99 + per cent of the total 18:1 and account for 25–30 per cent of the dry weight of females and over 40 per cent of the dry weight of eggs. 5. 5. The polar lipid from both females and eggs of the two nematode species was consistently higher in iso-18:0 and polyunsaturated fatty acids and much lower in vaccenic acid than the neutral lipid.