ANALYSIS OF TRIACYLGLYCEROLS CONTAINING CYCLOPROPENE FATTY-ACIDS IN STERCULIA-FOETIDA (LINN) SEED LIPIDS

The distribution of cyclopropene acyl moieties in triacylglycerols of Sterculia foetida (Linn.) seed lipids was determined after conversion into oxo derivatives which are stable under GLC conditions and readily separated. The triacylglycerols after derivatization were analyzed by spectroscopic and chromatographic techniques. It was found that the triacylglycerols of S. foetida seed lipids are composed of four types of molecular species I-IV in the ratio 6:41:33:20, respectively. The minor molecular species I contains common long-chain acyl moieties without a cyclopropene ring. The molecular species II, III, and IV were shown to have one, two, and three cyclopropene acyl moieties, respectively. Pancreatic lipase hydrolysis revealed that the oleoyl and linoleoyl moieties are preferentially esterified at the sn-2 position of glycerol, while the palmitoyl moieties are mostly located at the sn-1,3 positions. Similarly, the sterculoyl moieties show a preference for the sn-2 position and the malvaloyl moieties for the sn-1,3 positions.