Lipids of maturing grain of corn (Zea mays L.): I. Changes in lipid classes and fatty acid composition

Abstract

The total lipids of the grain from three strains of corn were compared throughout the growing season. The Illinois High Oil stock and the two inbreds, H51 and K6, represented high, intermediate and low oil-producing lines. In all three strains lipid synthesis was most active between 15 and 45 days after pollination. The lipids were extracted from the grain with a mixture of chloroform, methanol and water and were separated into classes by silicic acid and thin layer chromatography. Triglycerides constituted 10–17% of the total lipids at 10 days after pollination and increased to 75–92% at 75 days. Polar lipids at 10 days represented 70–72% and at 75 days 4–21%. Fatty acid compositions of the triglycerides and polar lipids changed as the grain matured, but the fatty acids of the polar lipids were more saturated than those of the triglycerides throughout the sampling periods. The major polar lipids were digalactosyl diglyceride, monogalactosyl diglyceride, phosphatidyl choline, phosphatidyl inositol and phosphatidyl ethanolamine.