Abstract
Natural rubber is usually synthesized in the rubber particles present in the latex of rubber-producing plants such as the Pará rubber tree (Hevea brasiliensis) and rubber dandelion (Taraxacum kok-saghyz). Since the detailed lipid compositions of fresh latex and rubber particles of the plants are poorly known, the present study reports detailed compound lipid composition, focusing on phospholipids and galactolipids in the latex and rubber particles of the plants. In the fresh latex and rubber particles of both plants, phospholipids were much more dominant (85–99%) compared to galactolipids. Among the nine classes of phospholipids, phosphatidylcholines (PCs) were most abundant, at ~80%, in both plants. Among PCs, PC (36:4) and PC (34:2) were most abundant in the rubber tree and rubber dandelion, respectively. Two classes of galactolipids, monogalactosyl diacylglycerol and digalactosyl diacylglycerol, were detected as 12% and 1%, respectively, of total compound lipids in rubber tree, whereas their percentages in the rubber dandelion were negligible (< 1%). Overall, the compound lipid composition differed only slightly between the fresh latex and the rubber particles of both rubber plants. These results provide fundamental data on the lipid composition of rubber particles in two rubber-producing plants, which can serve as a basis for artificial rubber particle production in the future.
Highlights
The Pará rubber tree (Hevea brasiliensis, Hevea) has been the sole source of natural rubber for a long time
In HPLC-ELSD analysis, the lipid extract of fresh Hevea latex showed a clear major peak corresponding to phosphatidylcholines (PCs), as well as minor peaks corresponding to phosphatidylinositols (PIs) and phosphatidylethanolamines (PEs) (Figure 1a), as compared to the standard lipids (Supplementary Materials Figure S1)
A mixture of phospholipase A (PLA) inhibitors was added to the latex collection solution and washed rubber particles were prepared, followed by immediate lipid extraction
Summary
The Pará rubber tree (Hevea brasiliensis, Hevea) has been the sole source of natural rubber for a long time. These trees are mostly cultivated in countries of the Asia-Pacific region; the natural rubber used worldwide is primarily produced here [1]. This restricted production gives rise to risk factors that unbalance the supply of natural rubber. Plant diseases such as South American leaf blight can exterminate rubber trees [2]. The increasing demand for natural rubber worldwide has rendered adequate supply even more difficult [5,6]
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