The fatty acid composition of the seed oils of proteaceae: A chemotaxonomic study

Abstract

The fatty acid composition and the amounts of the positional isomers of the monoene acids have been determined in 26 Proteaceae sp. representing two sub families and seven tribes. Fatty acids containing from 12 to 24 carbon atoms were detected, the major components being monoene acids. The amounts of cis-hexadecenoic acid exceeded 10% in 13 species. Each of the four monoenes studied had several positional isomers of which Δ9 and Δ11 predominated in hexadecenoic acid, Δ9 in octadecenoic acid and Δ11 and Δ15 in eicosenoic acid. The regression of the concentration of cis-hexadec-9-enoic acid on that of cis-octadec-11-enoic in 14 species was not statistically significant. The two sub families, Grevilleoideae and Proteoideae, have several distinct differences, the former, for instance, having a much wider range of acids. Differences between tribes were reflected mainly in the differing patterns of the monoene and diene acids, whereas these patterns were rather uniform within genera. The data for Placospermum and Bellendena tend to support the claim that the former represents the primitive form of the Proteaceae. © 1972.