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ARS Home » Southeast Area » New Orleans, Louisiana » Southern Regional Research Center » Commodity Utilization Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #73972
Title: NONPOLAR LIPIDS OF AMARANTHUS PALMERI S. WATS. 2. UNSATURATED ESTERS AND FREE FATTY ACIDS, STEROLS AND TRITERPENOLS

Author
item Dailey Jr, Oliver
item SEVERSON, RAY - DECEASED
item ARRENDALE, RICHARD - SOLVAY PHARMACEUTICALS

Submitted to: Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/17/1997
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: Palmer amaranth (Amaranthus palmeri) is a common weed that inhibits the growth of certain crop plants, most notably carrot and onion. A petroleum solvent extract of the leaves and flowering parts of this weed showed significant inhibition of carrot seeds, indicating that active components were removed. The components of this extract were isolated and identified. Many of the compounds had not been found previously in Amaranthus species. This basic study provides new information on the basic composition of plants.

Technical Abstract: In an earlier paper on the nonpolar lipids of Amaranthus palmeri, we described the compositions of the saturated fatty alcohol and wax ester components of the leaves and flowering parts. In this paper, the composition of esters containing unsaturated acyl moieties (glycerides, steryl esters, and terpenol esters), as determined by capillary gas chromatography/mass spectroscopy (GC/MS) analysis, will be presented. In addition, the free fatty acid, sterol, and triterpenol components will be characterized. The major constituents were palmitic, linoleic and oleic acids and the sterol chondrillasterol. The sterols campesterol, stigmasterol, ergost-7-en-3beta-ol, chondrillastenol, and 24-ethylidenechol -en-3beta-ol, and the triterpenols beta-and alpha-amyrin, lupeol, cycloarte nd 24-methylene cycloartenol were present in lesser quantities.