Virendra Singh, Rajesh Kr. Gupta, Sishir Tandon* and R.C. Sawhney*

CSK Himachal Pradesh Agricultural University

Hill Agricultural Research and Extension Centre, Bajaura 175125 (Kullu) Himachal Pradesh, India

(E-mail: virendrasingh2003@yahoo.com)

Fax: 0091-1902-266047, 268115, Tel: 0091-1905-287235

*Defence Institute of Physiology and Applied Research, Lucknow Road, Timarpur, Delhi 110054, India

Fatty acid composition of fruit pulp and seeds was studied in 9 years old stands of Hippophae rhamnoides ssp. turkestanica selected from Lahaul a semi-arid region and Spiti, an arid region, H. salicifolia also selected from Lahaul and HI-1, an exotic (H.rhamnoides), all raised at High Land Agricultural Research and Extension Center of Himachal Pradesh Agricultural University, located at Kukumseri (2650 m asl) in Lahaul valley of district Lahaul-Spiti, a dry temperate region of Himalayas. In fruit pulp, unsaturated fatty acids are higher in proportion (52.8- 60.7%) than the saturated fatty acids (10.6- 30.0%) of the total fat, in all forms. In seeds, unsaturated fatty acids also constitute higher proportion (48.6-84.7%) than the saturated fatty acids (12.3-27.1%), with an exception of H. salicifolia (28.5 and 40.3% respectively). Among the saturated fatty acids, Palmitic acid is the most dominant both in pulp (9.1- 28.1%) and seeds (8.8- 29.3%). Among the unsaturated fatty acids, in pulp, Palmitoleic acid is the most dominant (37.1-46.4% of the unsaturated component), followed by Linoleic acid (6.4- 15.0%), whereas in seeds, Linoleic acid is the most dominant fatty acid (3.73- 9.8%), followed by Oleic acid (14.8- 27.4%). Another important unsaturated fatty acid is α– Linolenic acid, which is 0.3-25.4% of the unsaturated component in pulp.

Key words: Hippophae rhamnoides ssp. turkestanica, H. salicifolia, HI-1, an exotic

(H.rhamnoides), fatty acid composition, fruit pulp and seeds.