Occurrence of esterified triterpenoid alcohols in the leaves of Pilosella officinarum

The mature winter leaves of Pilosella officinarum coll. Schultz and Schultz contained 29 mg esterified triterpenoid alcohols (g dry weight)⁻¹, of which over 80% was esterified with long-chain (C16-C18) fatty acids. The major fatty acids were 16:0, 18:2ω6 and 18:3ω3 and their amounts varied according to the season and stage of leaf development. In mature leaves the amount of triterpenoid alcohols esterified with long-chain fatty acids varied only slightly with the season. The changes in the fatty acid proportions in late winter-early spring, however, indicated a turnover in the esterified triterpenoid alcohol pool. In late winter after the snow had melted a 50% decrease occurred in the amount of triterpenoid alcohols esterified with short-chain fatty acids. The amount of esterified triterpenoid alcohols in immature leaves was relatively low 4 mg (g dry weight)⁻¹].
In the mature leaves esterified triterpenoid alcohols were found in globules whose appearance varied greatly according to the season. The globules were partly dissolved in late winter, and this together with the activation of respiration, suggests that the globules function as short-term energy reservoirs. Relationships between the appearance of lipid globules and the amount of esterified triterpenoid alcohols are discussed.