Lipid Content and Fatty Acid Composition in Bamboo Shoots

Lipids from bamboo shoots (Phyllostachys pubescens), peeled and divided from top to base, were extracted and fractionated into three classes, and each class separated into constituent components by thin-layer chromatography (TLC). Fatty acid composition and amount of separated lipids were determined. Total lipids (TL) ranged from 800 (top) to 380 mg (base) per 100g fresh weight and the ratio of nonpolar lipids (NPL):glycolipids (GL):phospholipids (PL) was about 17:27:56. The main fatty acids of the three lipid classes were palmitic, linoleic and linolenic acids, but composition was remarkably different among these fractions. The fatty acid composition of triglycerides (TG) was similar to the original NPL. Palmitic acid was almost all located in 1-, 3-position, linoleic acid mainly located in 2-position of TG, while linolenic acid was distributed in each position. Digalactosyl diglyceride (DGDG) and monogalactosyl diglyceride (MGDG) were the main components of GL; the average of the former had about 37% linoleic and 29% linolenic acids, while the latter had about 25% linoleic and 62% linolenic acids. Bamboo shoots contained 9 PL fractions, the major being phosphatidyl choline (PC) and phosphatidyl ethanolamine (PE). PC contained about 48% linoleic, 31% palmitic and 11% linolenic acids, and PE also had the similar tendency as PC.