Fatty acid composition of lipid classes of basella rubra linn

The seed oil of Basella rubra Linn was classified by thin layer chromatography into neutral lipids (96.1%) and polar lipids (3.9%). The neutral lipids identified were hydrocarbons (2.7%), sterol esters (3.9%), triacylglycerols (59.6%), free fatty acids (4.5%), I,3-diacylglycerols (8.7%), 1,2-diacylglycerols (6.8%), sterols (2.5%) and mono acylglycerols (7.4%). The polar lipids were phosphatidylethanolamines (1.3%), phosphatidylcholines (1.4%) and lysophosphatidylethanolamines (1.2%). The fatty acid range was from C/sub 16:0/ - C/sub 18:3/ showing higher percentage of unsaturated acids. The major fatty acids were palimtic, stearic, oleic and linoleic acids. (author)