Leaf Lipids of Oil Palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.): Comparison between the Bifid Lobe of the Seedling and the Leaflet of the Matured Oil Palm Fronds.

The morphology of oil palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) leaves varies drastically during the growth stage from the seedling to the mature tree. In this paper the leaf lipids of the bifid lobe of the oil palm seedling and of the leaflet from frond 1 and frond 17 of the mature oil palm are reported on and compared with each other. Chlorophyll content decreased significantly in the order leaflet from frond 17, frond 1 and seedling leaf. The chlorophyll a / b ratio also decreased in the same order. Total lipid content and polar lipid content were increased in the order seedling leaf, leaflet from frond 1 and leaflet from frond 17. Foliar polar lipids of oil palm were monogalactosyldiacylglycerol (MGDG), digalactosyldiacylglycerol (DGDG), sulfoquinovosyldiacylglycerol (SQDG), and phosphatidylglycerol (PG). In comparison with DGDG, SQDG and PG, the fatty acid composition of MGDG showed higher content of α-linolenic acid in both the seedling leaf and the mature oil palm leaf. The amount of α-linolenic acid in DGDG, SQDG and PG of the seedling leaf was lower than that of the mature oil palm leaf. The amount of palmitic acid in DGDG and SQDG of the seedling leaf was higher than that of the mature oil palm leaf. No significant difference was found in fatty acid composition between leaflets from frond 1 and frond 17.