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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Griffin, Georgia » Plant Genetic Resources Conservation Unit » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #260507
Title: Seed oil and Fatty acid content in okra (Abelmoschus esculentus) and related species

Author
item Jarret, Robert - Bob
item Wang, Ming
item LEVY, IRVIN - Gordon College

Submitted to: Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/8/2011
Publication Date: 3/17/2011
Citation: Jarret, R.L., Wang, M.L., Levy, I.J. 2011. Seed oil and Fatty acid content in okra (Abelmoschus esculentus) and related species. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. 59(8):4019-4024.

Interpretive Summary: Oil content and fatty acid profiles in seed of the cultivated okra (Abelmoschus esculentus) and related species in the USDA genebank were determined using time domain nuclear magnetic resonance (TD-NMR) and gas chromatography, respectively. Approximately 1100 accessions of cultivated okra were analyzed. Values of seed oil content in cultivated okra lines ranged from ~ 12.4% to 21.6%. Linoleic acid was the predominant fatty acid in A. esculentus and also in A. tuberculatus and A. ficulneus. These related species also had high levels of seed oil. Oil content in seed of A. caillei, A. A. manihot and A. moschatus ranged from 2.51 to 13.61%, 6.62 to 16.7% and 10.3 to 19.8%, respectively. Concentrations of palmitic acid were significantly higher in A. esculentus (range of 10.3 to 36.35%). Concentrations of palmitic acid were also high in A. caillei (mean = ~30%). Levels of oleic acid were highest in A. manihot, A. manihot var. tetraphyllus and A. moschatus.

Technical Abstract: Approximately 1100 genebank accessions of okra (Abelmoschus esculentus) and 540 additional accessions that included six of its related species were evaluated for seed oil content using TD-NMR. Species evaluated included; A. caillei, A. crinitis, A. esculentus, A. ficulneus, A. manihot, A. moschatus and A. tuberculatus. Oil content in seed of A. caillei, A. esculentus, A. ficulneus, A. manihot, A. moschatus and A. tuberculatus ranged from 2.51 to 13.61%, 12.36 to 21.56%, 6.62 to 16.7%, 16.1 to 22.0%, 10.3 to 19.8% and 10.8 to 23.2%, respectively. Genebank accession PI 639680 (A. tuberculatus) from India had the highest seed oil content (~ 23%). Accessions of A. esculentus with high seed oil content included PI nos. 274350 (21.5%), 538082 (20.9%) and 538097 (20.9%). These three accessions originated from Sudan. Values for the three accessions of A. manihot with the highest seed oil content were PI nos. 639673 (20.4%), 639674 (20.9%) and 639675 (21.9%). All three of these represent examples of A. manihot var. tetraphyllus – from India. A single accession of A. crinitis was determined to have a seed oil content of ~12%. Higher values for the ranges in seed oil content in A. esculentus were associated with seed originating from Burkina Faso and Cote D’Ivoire. Average percent seed oil in materials from Turkey and Sudan (17.35% and 17.36%, respectively) exceeded the averages of materials from other locations. Ninety six accessions of (total of 6 species) were also examined for fatty acid composition. Values of linoleic acid ranged from 23.6% to 50.65% in A. esculentus. However, mean linoleic acid concentrations were highest in A. tuberculatus and A. ficulneus. Concentrations of palmitic acid were significantly higher in A. esculentus (range of 10.3 to 36.35%) when compared to that of other species, and reached a maximum in PI 489800. Concentrations of palmitic acid were also high in A. caillei (mean = ~30%). Levels of oleic acid were highest in A. manihot, A. manihot var. tetraphyllus and A. moschatus.