Fatty acid composition of fourteen seashore mallow (Kosteletzkya pentacarpos) seed oil accessions collected from the Atlantic and Gulf coasts of the United States

Authors: Moser, Bryan; SELISKAR, DENISE - University Of Delaware; GALLAGHER, JOHN - University Of Delaware

Submitted to: Industrial Crops and Products
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/4/2016
Publication Date: 4/7/2016
Publication URL: https://handle.nal.usda.gov/10113/5265308
Citation: Moser, B.R., Seliskar, D.M., Gallagher, J.L. 2016. Fatty acid composition of fourteen seashore mallow (Kosteletzkya pentacarpos) seed oil accessions collected from the Atlantic and Gulf coasts of the United States. Industrial Crops and Products. 87:20-26.

Interpretive Summary: This research revealed that the composition of seashore mallow (Kosteletzkya pentacarpos) seed oil varies with geographic location. Such a finding is important because vegetable oil composition influences the fuel properties of the resulting biodiesel fuel. Seashore mallow is a non-invasive plant that can be grown on land not otherwise suited for traditional agriculture that produces seeds that contain vegetable oil. As a consequence, seashore mallow has strong potential as a low-cost, non-food, disease-resistant feedstock for production of biodiesel that does not displace existing food production. Additionally, seashore mallow is tolerant of saline soils and dry land that can be irrigated with brackish water or seawater, thereby liberating fresh water and high quality soil for traditional agriculture while simultaneously utilizing fallow land. These results will be important to biofuels producers, distributors, and end-users (customers). This research may ultimately improve market penetration, availability, and public perception of domestically produced agricultural fuels such as biodiesel and ethanol, thus affording greater national independence from imported petroleum-based fuels.

Technical Abstract: Seashore mallow (Kosteletzkya pentacarpos) is a flowering perennial halophytic herb belonging to the family Malvaceae that is found in marshes along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts of the United States. Fourteen accessions were collected from wild populations along the Atlantic (n = 8) and Gulf (n = 6) coasts of the United States and fatty acid profiles were determined from seeds cultivated in one or more of three controlled environments. Those growth environments were a greenhouse and field plots irrigated with freshwater and field plots irrigated with saltwater, all of which were located in Lewes, DE. Twenty-four of the 42 combinations were selected for fatty acid analysis. The principal fatty acid identified in all accessions was linoleic acid (53.1 +/- 2.8%), with significant amounts of palmitic (20.7 +/- 1.3%), oleic (13.7 +/- 1.4%), and stearic (1.8 +/- 0.5%) acids also detected. Additionally, significant amounts of cyclopropyl fatty acids such as malvalic (5.2 +/- 0.7%) and dihydrosterculic (1.2 +/- 0.5%) acids were also identified, along with trace amounts of sterculic acid. Minor fatty acids (<1%) included myristic, palmitoleic, vaccenic, linolenic, arachidic, and behenic acids. Statistical evaluation revealed that growth environment did not affect fatty acid composition, as statistically equivalent profiles were obtained regardless of whether accessions were grown in a greenhouse or in field plots with freshwater or saltwater irrigation. One-way ANOVA revealed statistically significant differences in palmitic, stearic, oleic, and linoleic acid content between Gulf and Atlantic coast accessions, with Gulf coast accessions providing lower mean oleic and palmitic acid content and higher mean linoleic and stearic acid content. In addition, Gulf coast accessions contained lower mean dihydrosterculic and malvalic acid content.