Malania Research Articles

Nervonic acid as novel therapeutics initiates both neurogenesis and angiogenesis for comprehensive wound repair and healing.

Rapid tissue reconstruction in acute and chronic injuries are challengeable, the inefficient repair mainly due to the difficulty in simultaneous promoting the regeneration of peripheral nerves and vascular, which are closely related. Main clinical medication strategy of tissue repair depends on different cytokines to achieve nerves, blood vessels or granulation tissue regeneration, respectively. However, their effect is still limited to single aspect with biorisk exists upon long-time use. Herein, for the first time, we have demonstrated that NA isolated from Malania oleifera has potential to simultaneously promote both neurogenesis and angiogenesis in vitro and in vivo. First, NA was identified by NMR and FTIR structural characterization analysis. In a model of oxidative stress in neural cells induced by hydrogen peroxide, the cells viability of RSC96 and PC12 were protected from oxidative stress injury by NA. Similarly, based on the rat wound healing model, effective blood vessel formation and wound healing can be observed in tissue staining under NA treatment. In addition, according to the identification of nerve and vascular related markers in the wound tissue, the mechanism of NA promoting nerve regeneration lies in the upregulation of the secretion NGF, NF-200 and S100 protein, and NA treatment was also able to up-regulate VEGF and CD31 to directly promote angiogenesis during wound healing. This study provides an important candidate drug molecules for acute or chronic wound healing and nerve vascular synchronous regeneration.

Primary Sequence and Three-Dimensional Structural Comparison between Malanin and Ricin, a Type II Ribosome-Inactivating Protein.

Malanin is a new type II ribosome-inactivating protein (RIP) purified from Malania oleifera, a rare, endangered tree is only found in the southwest of Guangxi Province and the southeast of Yunnan Province, China. The gene coding sequence of malanin was found from the cDNA library of M. oleifera seeds by employing the ten N-terminal amino acid sequences of malanin, DYPKLTFTTS for chain-A and DETXTDEEFN (X was commonly C) for chain-B. The results showed a 65% amino acid sequence homology between malanin and ricin by DNAMAN 9.0 software, the active sites of the two proteins were consistent, and the four disulfide bonds were in the same positions. The primary sequence and three-dimensional structures of malanin and ricin are likely to be very similar. Our studies suggest that the mechanism of action of malanin is expected to be analogous to ricin, indicating that it is a member of the type II ribosome-inactivating proteins. This result lays the foundation for further study of the anti-tumor activities of malanin, and for the application of malanin as a therapeutic agent against cancers.

Genomic insights into endangerment and conservation of the garlic-fruit tree (Malania oleifera), a plant species with extremely small populations

Abstract Background Advanced whole-genome sequencing techniques enable covering nearly all genome nucleotide variations and thus can provide deep insights into protecting endangered species. However, the use of genomic data to make conservation strategies is still rare, particularly for endangered plants. Here we performed comprehensive conservation genomic analysis for Malania oleifera, an endangered tree species with a high amount of nervonic acid. We used whole-genome resequencing data of 165 samples, covering 16 populations across the entire distribution range, to investigate the formation reasons of its extremely small population sizes and to evaluate the possible genomic offsets and changes of ecology niche suitability under future climate change. Results Although M. oleifera maintains relatively high genetic diversity among endangered woody plants (θπ = 3.87 × 10−3), high levels of inbreeding have been observed, which have reduced genetic diversity in 3 populations (JM, NP, and BM2) and caused the accumulation of deleterious mutations. Repeated bottleneck events, recent inbreeding (∼490 years ago), and anthropogenic disturbance to wild habitats have aggravated the fragmentation of M. oleifera and made it endangered. Due to the significant effect of higher average annual temperature, populations distributed in low altitude exhibit a greater genomic offset. Furthermore, ecological niche modeling shows the suitable habitats for M. oleifera will decrease by 71.15% and 98.79% in 2100 under scenarios SSP126 and SSP585, respectively. Conclusions The basic realizations concerning the threats to M. oleifera provide scientific foundation for defining management and adaptive units, as well as prioritizing populations for genetic rescue. Meanwhile, we highlight the importance of integrating genomic offset and ecological niche modeling to make targeted conservation actions under future climate change. Overall, our study provides a paradigm for genomics-directed conservation.

Efficient Enzymatic Enrichment of High-purity Nervonic Acid from Malania oleifera Seed Oil.

Nervonic acid (NA) is a monounsaturated fatty acid vital for brain health and is of emerging importance in various industrial applications, including therapeutics, food, and cosmetics. Given the growing demands of the food and pharmaceutical industries, there's a pressing need for high-purity NA. Previously, NA constituents in plant seed oils were chemically transformed into nervonic acid ethyl ester (NAEE) to facilitate extraction from seed oils. In this study, we present an enzymatic approach to convert NA constituents in Malania oleifera seed oil to NAEE. Combined with the utilization of the semi-preparative chromatography, we achieved a remarkable purity of 97.52% NAEE. Compared to conventional chemical preparations characterized by multiple steps, prolonged processing times, and low yields and purities, our enzymatic method stands out as a more efficient and advantageous alternative. On top of that, this innovative approach is environmentally friendly and circumvents health and safety issues associated with chemical processes.

Individual Tree AGB Estimation of Malania oleifera Based on UAV-RGB Imagery and Mask R-CNN

Forest aboveground biomass (AGB) is an important research topic in the field of forestry, with implications for carbon cycles and carbon sinks. Malania oleifera Chun et S. K. Lee (M. oleifera) is a valuable plant species that is listed on the National Second-Class Protected Plant checklist and has received global attention for its conservation and resource utilization. To obtain accurate AGB of individual M. oleifera trees in a fast, low-finance-cost and low-labor-cost way, this study first attempted to estimate individual M. oleifera tree AGB by combining the centimeter-level resolution RGB imagery derived from unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and the deep learning model of Mask R-CNN. Firstly, canopy area (CA) was obtained from the 3.5 cm high-resolution UAV-RGB imagery using the Mask R-CNN; secondly, to establish an allometric growth model between the diameter at breast height (DBH) and CA, the correlation analysis of both was conducted; thirdly, the AGB estimation method of individual M. oleifera trees was presented based on an empirical equation. The study showed that: (1) The deep learning model of Mask R-CNN achieved an average segmentation accuracy of 90% in the mixed forests to the extraction of the canopy of M. oleifera trees from UAV-RGB imagery. (2) The correlation between the extracted CA and field-measured DBH reached an R2 of 0.755 (n = 96). (3) The t-test method was used to verify the predicted and observed values of the CA-DBH model presented in this study, and the difference in deviation was not significant (p > 0.05). (4) AGB of individual M. oleifera was estimated for the first time. This study provides a reference method for the estimation of individual tree AGB of M. oleifera based on centimeter-level resolution UAV-RGB images and the Mask R-CNN deep learning.

First report of leaf spot on Malania oleifera caused by Pestalotiopsis australasiae in China

First report of leaf spot on Malania oleifera caused by Pestalotiopsis australasiae in China

Chromosome-level genome assemblies from two sandalwood species provide insights into the evolution of the Santalales

Sandalwood is one of the most expensive woods in the world and is well known for its long-lasting and distinctive aroma. In our study, chromosome-level genome assemblies for two sandalwood species (Santalum album and Santalumyasi) were constructed by integrating NGS short reads, RNA-seq, and Hi-C libraries with PacBio HiFi long reads. The S. album and S. yasi genomes were both assembled into 10 pseudochromosomes with a length of 229.59 Mb and 232.64 Mb, containing 21,673 and 22,816 predicted genes and a repeat content of 28.93% and 29.54% of the total genomes, respectively. Further analyses resolved a Santalum-specific whole-genome triplication event after divergence from ancestors of the Santalales lineage Malania, yet due to dramatic differences in transposon content, the Santalum genomes were only one-sixth the size of the Malania oleifera genome. Examination of RNA-seq data revealed a suite of genes that are differentially expressed in haustoria and might be involved in host hemiparasite interactions. The two genomes presented here not only provide an important comparative dataset for studying genome evolution in early diverging eudicots and hemiparasitic plants but will also hasten the application of conservation genomics for a lineage of trees recovering from decades of overexploitation.

The chromosome-level genome assembly and genes involved in biosynthesis of nervonic acid of Malania oleifera

Nervonic acid (C24:1 Δ15, NA) is a very long-chain monounsaturated fatty acid, a clinically indispensable resource in maintaining the brain and nerve cells development and regeneration. Till now, NA has been found in 38 plant species, among which the garlic-fruit tree (Malania oleifera) has been evaluated to be the best candidate for NA production. Here, we generated a high-quality chromosome-scale assembly of M. oleifera employing PacBio long-read, short-read Illumina as well as Hi-C sequencing data. The genome assembly consisted of 1.5 Gb with a contig N50 of ~4.9 Mb and a scaffold N50 of ~112.6 Mb. ~98.2% of the assembly was anchored into 13 pseudo-chromosomes. It contains ~1123 Mb repeat sequences, and 27,638 protein-coding genes, 568 tRNAs, 230 rRNAs and 352 other non-coding RNAs. Additionally, we documented candidate genes involved in NA biosynthesis including 20 KCSs, 4 KCRs, 1 HCD and 1 ECR, and profiled the expression patterns of these genes in developing seeds. The high-quality assembly of the genome provides insights into the genome evolution of the M. oleifera genome and candidate genes involved in NA biosynthesis in the seeds of this important woody tree.

Response of rhizosphere microbial community structure and functional characteristics to health status of <i>Malania oleifera</i>

Response of rhizosphere microbial community structure and functional characteristics to health status of <i>Malania oleifera</i>

Preparation of functional oils rich in diverse medium and long-chain triacylglycerols based on a broadly applicable solvent-free enzymatic strategy

To address the problems of long reaction times and limited range of adaptation in enzymatic synthesis medium- and long-chain triacylglycerols (MLCTs), a broadly applicable solvent-free enzymatic interesterification strategy was proposed. Candida sp. lipase (CSL) was immobilized on hydrophobic hollow mesoporous silica spheres (HHSS) to construct a biocatalyst designated as CSL@HHSS with a 15.3 % immobilization yield and a loading amount of 94.0 mg/g. The expressed activity and the specific activity were 20.14 U/g and 173.62 U/g, which were 4.6 and 5.6 times higher than that of free CSL, respectively. This biocatalyst demonstrated higher activity, wider applicability, and excellent reusability. Linseed oil, sunflower oil, perilla seed oil, algal oil, and malania oleifera oil were applied as substrates to produce MLCTs with medium-chain triacylglycerols (MCT) catalyzed by CSL@HHSS through interesterification in yields ranging from 69.6 % to 78.0 % within 20 min. Specific fatty acids, including linolenic acid, oleic acid, DHA, and nervonic acid (the first reported), were introduced into MLCT's skeleton, respectively. The structures were finely analyzed and identified by GC and UPLC-MS. The catalytic efficiency value of CSL@HHSS in catalyzing interesterification between linseed oil and MCT (70 ℃, 20 min, lipase 6 wt%) is 0.86 g/g∙min, which is the highest ever reported. This paper presents an effective and sustainable strategy for functional MLCTs production.

A novel synthesis method of cyclopentadecanone and cyclopentadecanolide from vegetable oil

Malania oleifera Chum is a unique renewable plant resource in China, its fruit oil has a high content of 15-tetracosenic acid, and it is a good raw material for the synthesis of cyclopentadecanone and cyclopentadecanolide. A Novel synthesis method of cyclopentadecanone and cyclopentadecanolide from vegetable oil was designed, and the synthesis yields of c cyclopentadecanone and cyclopentadecanolide were 38.5% and 63.0%, respectively. The effect of different ester groups on cyclization of α,ω-difatty acid alkyl ester in cyclopentadecanone synthesis, and effect of catalysts on cyclization ofω-hydroxycarboxylic acid triglyceride in cyclopentadecanolide synthesis were investigated. The designed synthesis strategy has the characteristics of less synthesis steps and high utilization efficiency of 15-tetracosenic acid, which has simple and economic.

First Report of Leaf Spot on Malania oleifera Caused by Botryosphaeria fabicerciana in China.

HomePlant DiseaseVol. 106, No. 6First Report of Leaf Spot on Malania oleifera Caused by Botryosphaeria fabicerciana in China PreviousNext DISEASE NOTE OPENOpen Access licenseFirst Report of Leaf Spot on Malania oleifera Caused by Botryosphaeria fabicerciana in ChinaYue Pan, Pengfei Wang, Wandong Chen, Guichai Yang, Yingjie Gu, Junwei Wang, and Juan WangYue Panhttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-2092-2366Eco-development Academy, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming 650224, ChinaSearch for more papers by this author, Pengfei WangCollege of Forestry, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming 650224, ChinaSearch for more papers by this author, Wandong ChenCollege of Forestry, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming 650224, ChinaSearch for more papers by this author, Guichai YangCollege of Garden and Horticulture, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming 650224, ChinaSearch for more papers by this author, Yingjie GuCollege of Forestry, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming 650224, ChinaSearch for more papers by this author, Junwei WangSchool of Geography and Ecotourism, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming 650224, ChinaSearch for more papers by this author, and Juan Wang†Corresponding author: J. Wang; E-mail Address: schima@163.comEco-development Academy, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming 650224, ChinaSearch for more papers by this authorAffiliationsAuthors and Affiliations Yue Pan1 Pengfei Wang2 Wandong Chen2 Guichai Yang3 Yingjie Gu2 Junwei Wang4 Juan Wang1 † 1Eco-development Academy, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming 650224, China 2College of Forestry, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming 650224, China 3College of Garden and Horticulture, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming 650224, China 4School of Geography and Ecotourism, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming 650224, China Published Online:11 May 2022https://doi.org/10.1094/PDIS-09-21-2038-PDNAboutSectionsView articlePDFSupplemental ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack Citations ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditEmailWechat View articleMalania oleifera Chun & S. K. Lee is an endangered plant species in China with rich nervonic acid in seeds, and, thus, has important ecological and economic value (Fu 1992; Tang et al. 2013). Brown leaf spots were observed on 3-year-old M. oleifera plants in summer 2019 in Guangnan County, Yunnan Province, China (24°05′26″N, 105°05′07″E). A total of 100 trees within 0.3 ha of mountainous area were investigated, and eight (8%) showed disease symptoms. Initially, small, brown irregular spots appeared on the tip and margin of the leaf, and then gradually expanded to the whole leaf. Ten symptomatic leaves were randomly collected from different plants for fungal isolation. They were washed with running tap water, sterilized with 75% ethanol for 3 min and 1% NaOCl for 2 min, and rinsed in sterile distilled water three times. The leaves were cut into 5 × 5 mm2 segments and cultured on potato dextrose agar (PDA) at 25°C in the dark after air drying. In total, 12 morphologically similar fungal isolates were obtained. Colonies of the fungal culture initially appeared white, turned gray from the center between 3 to 6 days, and then became dark gray with cottony aerial mycelium 9 days later. To induce sporulation, the cultures were placed on 2% water agar (WA) with autoclaved pine needles and were incubated at 25°C under near-ultraviolet light as described by Chen et al. (2011). Globose conidiomata developed on pine needle surfaces after 10 days. Conidia were hyaline, unicellular, aseptate, fusiform with apex acute and base truncate, and 18.62 to 26.14 × 4.80 to 7.63 μm (average 21.77 × 5.91 μm, n = 50). The morphological characteristics resembled those of Botryosphaeria fabicerciana (S.F. Chen, D. Pavlic, M.J. Wingf. & X.D. Zhou) A.J.L. Phillips & A. Alves (Phillips et al. 2013). The internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region and the translation elongation factor 1-α gene (EF1-α) regions of a representative isolate (CGMCC3.20320) were amplified using primers ITS1F/ITS4 and EF1-728F/EF1-986R (Carbone and Kohn 1999; White et al. 1990), respectively. The obtained sequences (GenBank accession nos. MW642163 and MW651965) showed 99.80% (identity = 505/506) and 99.27% (identity = 272/274) similarity with the corresponding genes of ex-type CMW 27094 of Fusicoccum fabicercianum S.F. Chen, D. Pavlic, M.J. Wingf. & X.D. Zhou, now B. fabicerciana (GenBank accession nos. HQ332197 and HQ332213). The pathogenicity of the selected isolate (CGMCC3.20320) was evaluated by leaf inoculation of 1-year-old M. oleifera seedlings. Mycelial plugs (5 mm) of B. fabicerciana from a 7-day-old culture were applied on leaves wounded with sterile scalpels. Controls were inoculated with sterile PDA plugs. Each treatment was repeated six times. Inoculated and control plants were kept in a greenhouse at 25°C and 80% relative humidity, with a 12-h photoperiod. After 10 days, irregular brown spots appeared on all inoculated leaves, whereas there were no spots from control plants. Botryosphaeria fabicerciana was reisolated only from symptomatic leaves, fulfilling Koch’s postulates. Previous studies indicated that this fungus can cause stem lesions on Eucalyptus and trunk cankers on Carya cathayensis in China (Chen et al. 2011; Zhuang et al. 2021). To our knowledge, this represents the first report of B. fabicerciana causing leaf spot on M. oleifera in China.The author(s) declare no conflict of interest.

Germplasm resources of three wood plant species enriched with nervonic acid

Nervonic acid (NA) is a very-long-chain monounsaturated fatty acid with pharmaceutical and nutraceutical functions that plays an important role in treating several neurological disorders. One major source of NA is plant seed oil. Here we report fatty acid profiles of seeds and germplasm diversity of six plant species, including three woody plants with high amounts of NA-enriched seed oil, Malania oleifera, Macaranga adenantha, and M. indica. M. oleifera had the largest seed (average 7.40 g single seed), highest oil content (58.71%), and highest NA level (42.22%). The germplasm diversity of M. oleifera is associated with its habitat but not elevation. Seeds of M. adenantha contained higher NA levels (28.41%) than M. indica (21.77%), but M. indica contained a significantly higher oil content (29.22%) and seed yield. M. adenantha germplasm varied among populations, with one population having seeds with high oil content (22.63%) and NA level (37.78%).Although M. indica grow naturally at a range of elevations, no significant differences were detected between M. indica populations. These results suggest that M. indica and M. oleifera have greater potential as a source of NA, which will contribute to constructing a germplasm resource nursery and establishing a selection and breeding program to improve the development of NA-enriched plants.

Malania oleifera

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Fruiting character variability in wild individuals of Malania oleifera, a highly valued endemic species

Malania oleifera (Olacaceae), a tree species endemic to Southwest China, has seed oils enriched with nervonic acid and is therefore good source of this chemical. Because of this, there are promising industrial perspective in the artificial cultivation and use of this species. Understanding the variability in the fruit characters among individuals forms the basis or resource prospection. In the current investigation, fifty-three mature fruiting trees were sampled from two locations with divergent climates (Guangnan and Funing). Morphological characterization of fruits (fruit and stone weight, fruit transverse and longitudinal diameter, stone transverse and longitudinal diameter) was conducted, and the concentration of seed oil and its fatty acid composition were also analyzed in all individuals. Differences in all the morphological characters studied were more significant among individual trees than between different geographic localities, even though these had different climates. Eleven fatty acids were identified contributing between 91.39 and 96.34% of the lipids, and the major components were nervonic acid (38.93–47.24%), octadecenoic acid (26.79–32.08%), docosenoic acid (10.94–17.24%). The seed oil content (proportion of oil in seed kernel) and the proportion of nervonic acid were both higher in Funing, which has a higher average climatic temperature than Guangnan. The concentrations of nervonic acid and octadecenoic acid with the low coefficients of variation in the seed oil of M. oleifera were relatively stable in contrast to the other fatty acids. There were significant positive correlations between fruit morphological characters, but the amount of seed oil and the concentrations of its components were not correlated with any morphological character. This study provides an understanding of morphological variation in wild M. oleifera individuals. Wild individuals with excellent fruit traits could be selected and would make promising candidates for commercial cultivation.

First report of leaf spot and stem canker on Malania oleifera caused by Neofusicoccum parvum in China

First report of leaf spot and stem canker on Malania oleifera caused by Neofusicoccum parvum in China

Genomic comparison of non-photosynthetic plants from the family Balanophoraceae with their photosynthetic relatives.

The plant family Balanophoraceae consists entirely of species that have lost the ability to photosynthesize. Instead, they obtain nutrients by parasitizing other plants. Recent studies have revealed that plastid genomes of Balanophoraceae exhibit a number of interesting features, one of the most prominent of those being a highly elevated AT content of nearly 90%. Additionally, the nucleotide substitution rate in the plastid genomes of Balanophoraceae is an order of magnitude greater than that of their photosynthetic relatives without signs of relaxed selection. Currently, there are no definitive explanations for these features. Given these unusual features, we hypothesised that the nuclear genomes of Balanophoraceae may also provide valuable information in regard to understanding the evolution of non-photosynthetic plants. To gain insight into these genomes, in the present study we analysed the transcriptomes of two Balanophoraceae species (Rhopalocnemis phalloides and Balanophora fungosa) and compared them to the transcriptomes of their close photosynthetic relatives (Daenikera sp., Dendropemon caribaeus, and Malania oleifera). Our analysis revealed that the AT content of the nuclear genes of Balanophoraceae did not markedly differ from that of the photosynthetic relatives. The nucleotide substitution rate in the genes of Balanophoraceae is, for an unknown reason, several-fold larger than in the genes of photosynthetic Santalales; however, the negative selection in Balanophoraceae is likely stronger. We observed an extensive loss of photosynthesis-related genes in the Balanophoraceae family members. Additionally, we did not observe transcripts of several genes whose products function in plastid genome repair. This implies their loss or very low expression, which may explain the increased nucleotide substitution rate and AT content of the plastid genomes.

Identification of KCS gene family and functional analysis of FAE-like genes from Malania oleifera

KCS (3-ketoacyl-CoA synthase) is the key enzyme catalyzing the first step of very long chain fatty acid (VLCFA) biosynthesis. Studies showed that different KCSs possessed different substrate preference. Malania oleifera are abundance of VLCFAs in its mature seeds, especially the nervonic acid, which is essential for human health. In this study, we identified and characterized 18 KCS genes in M. oleifera genome. Phylogenetic analysis showed that these KCS genes were classified into four subfamilies, including two FAE-like, six KCS-like, eight FDH-like and two CER6. We concentrated on the functional role of two FAE-like genes, Maole003085.T1 and Maole004215.T1 which encoded predicted amino acid residues of 516 and 518 in protein, respectively. Multiple sequence alignment showed that their two proteins contained the known and conserved active sites among FAE-like subfamily. Upon heterologous expression in wild type yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) INVSc1, we found that Maole004215.T1 could produce four new fatty acids including C22:0/C22:1 and C24:0/C24:1, but Maole003085.T1 only produced C22:1. Besides, upon heterologous expression in mutant yeast BY4741-△elo3, we found the Maole003085.T1 could produce C24:0 and C26:0, while the Maole004215.T1 could catalyze the formation of fatty acids C24:0, C26:0 and C28:0. These results showed Maole003085.T1 and Maole004215.T1 had fatty acid elongation activity in yeast, and possessed different substrate preference in the production of different VLCFAs. Interestingly, we found Maole004215.T1 could produce nervonic acid in yeast, which provides molecular basis on the genetic improvement and genic engineering for producing nervonic acid resources by using biotechnological methods.

A 3-ketoacyl-CoA synthase 11 (KCS11) homolog from Malania oleifera synthesizes nervonic acid in plants rich in 11Z-eicosenoic acid.

Nervonic acid (24:1) is a major component in nerve and brain tissues and it has important applications in food and pharmaceutical industries. Malania oleifera seeds contain about 40% nervonic acid. However, the mechanism of nervonic acid biosynthesis and accumulation in seeds of this endangered tree species remains unknown. In this study, developmental changes in fatty acid composition within embryos and their pericarps were investigated. Nervonic acid proportions steadily increased in developing embryos but 24:1 was not detected in pericarps at any stage. Two 3-ketoacyl-CoA synthase (KCS) homologs have been isolated from M. oleifera developing seeds by homologous cloning methods. Both KCSs are expressed in developing embryos but not detected in pericarps. Based on a phylogenetic analysis, these two KCSs were named as MoKCS4 and MoKCS11. Seed-specific expression of the MoKCS11 in Arabidopsis thaliana led to about 5% nervonic acid accumulation, while expression of the MoKCS4 did not show an obvious change in fatty acid composition. It is noteworthy that the transformation of the same MoKCS11 construct into two Brassica napus cultivars with high erucic acid did not produce the expected accumulation of nervonic acid, although expression of MoKCS11 was detected in the developing embryos of transgenic lines. In contrast, overexpression of MoKCS11 results in similar level of nervonic acid accumulation in camelina, a species which contains a similar level of 11Z-eicosenoic acid as does Arabidopsis thaliana. Taken together, the MoKCS11 may have a substrate preference for 11Z-eicosenoic acid, but not for erucic acid, in planta.

Lipid analysis of three special nervonic acid resources in China

Nervonic acid plays an important role in nutrition and function of the human body. Malania oleifera, Acer truncatum and Xanthoceras sorbifolium are China’s unique woody plant rich in nervonic acid in seed oil. This study aims to investigate the lipid composition of these 3 special resources. Their fatty acids were detected by gas chromatography coupled with flame detector (GC-FID). Triglycerides (TAGs) and phospholipids (PLs) were detected by shotgun-mass spectrometry (shotgun-MS). Results showed that M. oleifera oil presented the highest level of nervonic acid (46.20 ​± ​0.22%) among the 3 oils. Seeds oil of A. truncatum and X. sorbifolium had 3.53 ​± ​0.20% and 1.83 ​± ​0.21% nervonic acid respectively. 53 species of TAGs and 15 species of PLs were identified in M. oleifera oil, with PLs content of 499.94 ​± ​22.34 ​μg/g. In A. truncatum oil, PL and TAG species were twice more than those in M. oleifera oil, and its’ content of PLs was 76.27 ​± ​3.21 ​μg/g. In X. sorbifolium oil, 75 TAGs and 34 ​PLs were detected, with the lowest PLs at 23.84 ​± ​0.17 ​μg/g. The results demonstrated that these 3 vegetable oils have great potential to become nervonic acid supplements for human health.