The fatty acid composition of seeds and leaves of Nicotiana species

Abstract

Fatty acid analyses of seeds in 62 Nicotiana species and leaves in 56 Nicotiana species are presented. The total fatty acid content on a dry wt basis ranged from 25 to 40 %of seeds and from 2.1 to4.4% of green leaves. Linolenate was the dominant fatty acid in the leaves of all species studied, comprising 50–63% of the total fatty acid content. In seeds of most species linoleate predominated, constituting 69–79% of the total fatty acid content. Fourteen of 21 species in the section Suaveolentes and one species in the section Noctiflorae had relatively high proportions (10–38%) of linolenate. In two linolenate-rich species studied, linolenate was the major fatty acid of triacylglycerols which predominated in the seed lipids.