Tissue culture of cocoa bean (Theobroma cacao L.): changes in lipids during maturation of beans and growth of cells and calli in culture

Callus cultures ofTheobroma cacao L., initiated from explants of immature cocoa bean cotyledons, contained 5.3%–6.4% lipids (dry wt basis). The major fatty acids were palmitic, oleic and linoleic acids. Cell suspensions contained 5.7–7.7% total lipids which had a higher polyunsaturated fatty acid content than total lipids of the calli. Phospholipids and glycolipids were the predominant lipid classes of calli and cell suspensions. Immature cocoa beans at early stages of development contained much higher polyunsaturated fatty acids, higher polar lipids and lower triglycerides than did mature ripe beans. Ripe cocoa beans contained 54% total lipids of which 96.8% where triglycerides. The fatty acid composition of total lipids of calli and cell suspensions were similar to those of the immature cocoa beans.