Lipids and hydroxycinnamic acids in cell walls of Eriophorum vaginatum

Abstract

The contents of aliphatic and aromatic compounds in alkaline hydrolysates from cell wall preparations of leaves of Eriophorum vaginatum varied between 27 and 10 mg/g dry wt depending on the age of the tissue. The amounts were highest in living green leaves at the end of the growth period and lowest in highly decayed leaf remains (mainly leaf bases) located below the peat surface. Living roots contained less alkaline hydrolysis products than the green leaves, and the decaying roots even less. The absolute and relative amounts of individual compounds differed in the hydrolysis products from mature and senescent leaves and leaves at various stages of decomposition. This suggests that the compounds are liberated from the cell walls or transformed to other constituents less susceptible to alkaline hydrolysis at different rates during tissue decay. Those that appear to be lost most rapidly are hydroxycinnamic acids ( p-coumaric and ferulic acids),9,10-epoxy-18-hydroxyoctadecanoic and 9,16- and 10,16-dihydroxyhexadecanoic acids. Compounds that are lost less rapidly are C 18 ω-hydroxy acids and certain long chain α,ω-dicarboxylic and fatty acids, those lost most slowly are very long chain (C 22-C 28) ω-hydroxy acids. In roots also, both the absolute and relative amounts of very long chain ω-hydroxy acids were highest in the decaying cell walls.