Fatty acid composition of lipids in pot marigold (Calendula officinalis L.) seed genotypes

The oil content and fatty acid composition of major lipid fractions in seeds from eleven genotypes of pot marigold (Calendula officinalis L.) were determined. The lipid content of seeds varied between 13.6 and 21.7 g oil/100 g seeds. The calendic and linoleic acids were the two dominant fatty acids in total lipid (51.4 to 57.6% and 28.5 to 31.9%) and triacylglycerol (45.7 to 54.7% and 22.6 to 29.2%) fractions. Polar lipids were also characterised by higher unsaturation ratios (with the PUFAs content between 60.4 and 66.4%), while saturates (consisted mainly of palmitic and very long-chain saturated fatty acids) were found in higher amounts in sterol esters (ranging between 49.3 and 55.7% of total fatty acids).All the pot marigold seed oils investigated contain high levels of calendic acid (more than 50% of total fatty acids), making them favorable for industrial use. The compositional differences between the genotypes should be considered when breeding and exploiting the pot marigold seeds for nutraceutical and pharmacological purposes.Calendula officinalis L. (pot marigold), a member of the Asteraceae family, is an annual aromatic herb with yellow or golden-orange flowers, native to the Mediterranean climate areas, being also successfully cultivated in temperate regions of the Earth for ornamental and medicinal purposes [1]. The species have been reported to contain a variety of phytochemicals, including carbohydrates, lipids, phenolic compounds, steroids, terpenoids, tocopherols, carotenoids and quinones [2-5] with potential health benefits [1,6-10].Besides the usual fatty acids, a few plants are capable to biosynthesize some unusual fatty acids, with special chemical structure. Usually these fatty acids accumulate in storage tissues, while in green organs they are absent or present in very small amounts. The presence of unusual fatty acids is genetically determined and they are highly significant indicators of phylogenetic relationships [11,12]. The seeds of pot