Abstract
Conjugate trienoic acids (CTA) occurred in triacylglycerols (TGs) of the seed oils of Trichosanthes kirilowii, Momordica charantia and Aleurites fordii, and they were easily converted to their methyl esters in a mixture of sodium methoxide-methanol without any structural destruction. The main fatty acids in triacylglycerol (TG) fraction of the seed oils of Trichosanthes kirilowii are $C_{18:2{\omega}6}$ (32.2 mol %), $C_{18:3{\;}9c.11t,13c}$ (38.0 mol %) and $C_{18:1{\omega}9}$ (11.8 mol %), followed with $C_{16:0}$ (4.8 mol %) and $C_{18:0}$ (3.1 mol %). The TG fraction was resolved into 20 TG molecular species according to the partition number (PN) by reversed-phase (RP)-HPLC. The main TG species were $DT_{c2}$, $MDT_{c}$ and $D_{2}T_{c}$, of which amounts reached 63 mol % of total TG molecular species. The TG sample was fractionated into 11 fractions according to the number of double bond in the molecule by $Ag^{+}-HPLC$ and the species of $DT_{c2}$, $MDT_{c}$ and $D_{2}T_{c}$ were also eluted as main components. The TG species containing CTA showed unusual behaviours in the order of elution by HPLC ; first, TG moleular species of $DT_{c2}$ (D; dienoic acid, $T_{c}$; punicic acid, $T_{ci}$; ${\alpha}-eleostearic$ acid, M ; monoenoic acid, $S_{t}$; stearic acid) was eluted earlier than $Mt_{c2}$, although they have the same PN number of 40, and, secondly, the species of $DT_{ci2}$ with eight double bonds was eluted earlier than that of $D_2T_{ci}$ with seven double bonds. Intact TG of the seed oils of Momordica charantia contained mainly fatty acids such as $C_{18:3{\omega}9c,11t,13t}$ (57.7 mol %), $C_{18:1{\omega}9}$ (17.4 mol %), $C_{18:0}$ (12.3 mol %) and $C_{18:2{\omega}6}$ (10.6 mol %), and was classified into 13 fractions by RP-HPLC. The main TG species were as follows ; $MT_{ci2}$ [$(C_{18:1{\omega}9})(C_{18:3\;9c,11t,13t})_{2}$, 39.1 mol %] and $S_{t}T_{ci2}$ [$(C_{18:0})(C_{18:3\;9c,11t,13t})_2$, 33.9 mol %] comprising about 73 mol % of total TG species, accompanied by $DT_{ci2}$ [$(C_{18:2{\omega}6})(C_{18:3\;9c,11t,13t})_{2}$, 7.3 mol %], $D_{2}T_{ci}$ [$ (C_{18:2{\omega}6})_{2}(C_{18:3\;9c,11t,13t})$, 3.6 mol %] and $MDT_{ci}$ [$(C_{18:1{\omega}9})(C_{18:2{\omega}6})(C_{18:3\;9c,11t,13t})$, 3.5 mol %]. Simple TG species of $T_{ci3}$ [$(C_{18:3\;9c,11t,13t})_3]$ was present in a small amount of 1.4 mol %, but other simple TG species were not detected. The TG was also resolved into 11 fractions according to the number of double bond by $Ag^{+}-HPLC$, and the species were mainly occupied by $MT_{ci2}$ [$(C_{18:1{\omega}9})(C_{18:3\;9c,11t,13t})_{2}$, 39.4 mol %] and $S_tT-{ci2}$ [$(C_{18:0})(C_{18:3\;9c,11t,13t})_{2}$, 35.4 mol %] $DT_{ci2}$ species with eight double bonds was also developed faster than $D_2T_{ci}$ one with seven double bonds as indicated in the analysis of TG of the seed oils of T. kirilowii, and $MT_{ci2}$ species with cis, trans, trans-configurated double bond was eluted earlier than $MT_{c2}$ species with cis, trans, cis-configurated double bond. The main components of fatty acid in total TG fraction isolated from the seed oils of of Aleurites fordii were in the following order ; $C_{18:3\;9c,11t,13t}$ (81.2 mol %)> $C_{18:2{\omega}6}$ (8.5 mol %)> $C_{18:1{\omega}9}$ (5.4 mol %)$. With resolution of the TG by RP-HPLC, eight fractions such as $T_{ci3}$, $Dt_{ci2}$, $D_{2}T_{ci}$, $MT_{ci2}$, $PT_{ci2}$ (P; palmitic acid), $PMT_{ci}$, $PDT_{ci}$ and $S_{t}T_{ci2}$ ($S_{t}$; stearic acid) were isolated, respectively. TG species of $T_{ci3}$ [$(C_{18:3\;9c,11t,13t})_{3}$, 54.2 mol %], $DT_{ci2}$ [$(C_{18:2{\omega}6})(C_{18:3\;9c,11t,13t})_{2}$, 15.0 mol %] and $MT_{ci2}$ [$(C_{18:1{\omega}9})(C_{18:3 9c,11t,13t})_{2}$, 14.8 mol %] were present as main species.