Lipid composition of oats (Avena sativa L.)

Compositions of lipids extracted from a sample of Hinoat oat by seven solvent systems and that extracted with chloroform/methanol (2:1 v/v) from six selected cultivars representing high and low lipid contents are reported. Lipid components (steryl esters, triglycerides, partial glycerides, free fatty acids, glycolipids and phospholipids) were separated by silicic acid column chromatography and thin layer chromatography and quantitated by GLC analysis of fatty acids and phosphorus determinations. Twelve oat cultivars were examined for the fatty acid composition of lipid extracted with n-hexane. Lipids extracted from Hinoat by different solvent systems ranged from 5.6 to 8.8%. Quantitative distribution of lipid components extracted with chloroform/methanol from six cultivars containing 4.6 to 11.6% lipid showed a significant correlation (γ=0.99) between the total lipid and the neutral lipid content. Phospholipid content was similar in all cultivars, but glycolipids showed a two-fold increase in high lipid oats. Triglycerides contained less palmitic and more oleic acid than the glycolipids or phospholipids. Nine glycolipids and 11 phospholipids have been identified, and the polar lipid composition of Hinoat oat is presented.