Fatty acid composition of Heliotropium species (Boraginaceae): A first chemical report on the new species H. thermophilum

Abstract

Fatty acid compositions of the seed oils of H. thermophilum Kit Tan, A. Celik & Y. Gemici, sp. nova, H. europaeum L., and IT hirsutissimum L. (Boraginaceae) were analyzed by GC/MS. The main fatty acid methyl esters were determined to be of palmitic (39.8-40.6%), linoleic (32.4-33.2%), oleic (10.6-12.1%) and stearic acids (7.9-8.5%). gamma-Linolenic acid was found to be a minor component of the seed oils of the reported species. This is the first chemical report on the fatty acid composition of H. thermophilum, along with chemotaxonomic evaluation of the species.