Lipid composition of Porteresia coarctata from two different mangrove habitats in India

Porteresia coarctata collected, at Prentice and Chuksar Islands of the Sunderban mangrove ecosystem, was studied for its lipid composition. Hydrocarbon, wax ester, sterol esters, triacylglycerols, sterols and terpenoids, were all found in higher proportions in the Prentice Island sample. Palmitic acid was the major fatty acid in all fractions except for the steryl esters of P. coarctata collected from Prentice Island, where oleic and linoleic acids were the major components. Sterols found were, sitosterol, stigmasterol, campesterol and cholesterol, of which, sitosterol and stigmasterol were the major components. Terpenoids present were, β-amyrin, α-amyrin, lupeol, betulin, oleanolic acid and ursolic acid, of which, lupeol and oleanolic acid were the major components. Quantitative variations of the lipid constituents were found between the two samples studied.