Lipids in Amaranths

Abstract

The lipid composition of 8 varieties of amaranths was determined. Free lipids ranged from 5.69 to 7.23% and bound lipids from 0.42 to 0.91%. Fatty acids were determined by glc. Linoleic acid (38-48%), oleic acid (22-35%), palmitic acid (19-21%), and stearic acid (4-5%) were the predominant fatty acids. These 4 fatty acids represent over 95% of the fatty acids in amaranths. Unsaturated fatty acids account for about 74% of the total fatty acid content. Free- and bound lipids were separated by tlc. In the non-polar lipids, triglycerides, diglycerides, fatty acids, hydrocarbons, and sterol esters were present. In the polar lipids, phosphatidylserine, phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylethanolamine and mono- and digalactosyl glycerides were tentatively identified.