Fatty acids and tocochromanols in seeds of Orobanche

The evaluation of tocochromanols (tocopherols and tocotrienols) in 49 acces sions from 21 Orobanche species revealed three well separated groups. The f irst one, characterized by high gamma-tocotrienol content, included all the accessions of sect. Orobanche. The second one, exhibiting high gamma-tocop herol content, comprised the accessions of O. arenaria Borkh. and O. purpur ea Jacq. (sect. Trionychon Wallr.). All the other accessions of this sectio n presented high delta-tocopherol content. Differences for tocochromanol de rivatives within sect. Trionychon were paralleled by differences in the fat ty acid profile, with the high delta-tocopherol class having also a higher oleic to linoleic acid ratio. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights res erved.