Separation and analysis of steryl and wax esters from Dicranum elongatum

• Published in: Physiologia Plantarum
• Main Authors: KARUNEN, PIRJO, MIKOLA, HEIKKI, EKMAN, RAINER
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Wiley 1980
• Subjects: Subarctic
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1399-3054.1980.tb03315.x; https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1111%2Fj.1399-3054.1980.tb03315.x; https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/j.1399-3054.1980.tb03315.x

Abstract Complete separation of the steryl and wax esters in the subarctic moss Dicranum elongatum was achieved on MgO thin‐layer plates without any notable alteration of the acyl and alkyl moieties of the esters. Gas chromatography‐mass spectrometry of the hydrolyzed fraction showed that the sterols (campesterol, stigmasterol, sitosterol, cycloartenol, 24‐methylene cycloartanol and an unidentified sterol) were primarily esterified with unsaturated fatty acids 18:2 ω 6, 18:3 ω 3 and 20:4 ω 6. In contrast, the wax alcohols (l‐octadecanol, phytol and geranylgeraniol) were mainly esterified with saturated fatty acids with 16:0, 18:0 and 20:0 as major components. No great differences were found in the fatty acid pattern of the steryl esters between different portions of the shoot. Slight differences, however, were found in the proportions of ω 3 and ω 6 fatty acids. In the wax esters a clear decrease was found in the proportions of 18:0 and 20:0 acids with increased shoot age accompanied by a slight increase in the proportions of 14:0, 20:4 ω 6 and phytenic acid.