FATTY-ACID COMPOSITION OF POLAR LIPIDS IN CERATODON-PURPUREUS AND PLEUROZIUM-SCHREBERI

The total amount of fatty acids in the mono‐ (MGDG) and diglycosyl diglyceride (DGDG) and more polar lipid fractions of frozen Ceratodon purpureus shoots was 4.6, 3.4 and 4.0 mg/g dry weight, respectively. The respective values for the tops of frozen Pleurozium schreberi were 2.6, 3.3 and 3.8 mg/g dry weight. The molar ratios MGDG/DGDG and MGDG + DGDG/chlorophyll were 1.3 and 3.7, respectively, for C. purpureus and 0.8 and 3.5 for P. schreberi. In C. purpureus the main fatty acids in the MGDG fraction were C 18:3ω3 (44% of the total fatty acids) and C 16:3ω3 (26%); in the DGDG fraction C 18:3ω3 (70%); and in the more polar lipid fraction C 18: 3ω3 (26%) and C 16:0 (25%). The proportion of C 20 polyunsaturated fatty acids was 15, 12 and 19% of the total fatty acids found in the MGDG, DGDG and more polar lipid fractions, respectively. In P. schreberi the proportion of C 20 polyunsaturated fatty acids was high in all polar lipid fractions (47, 42 and 25% in MGDG, DGDG and more polar lipid fractions, respectively). In addition, MGDG and DGDG fractions contained abundantly C 18:3ω3 (32 and 45%, respectively), and the more polar lipid fraction both C 18: 3ω3 (24%) and C 16:0 (27%). Copyright © 1979, Wiley Blackwell. All rights reserved