Comparative fatty acid content of seeds of four Cucurbita species grown in a common (shared) garden

Great variation has been observed in fatty acid content of pumpkin seeds from Cucurbita pepo, while other pumpkin or winter squash species, including C moschata, C maxima, and C argyrosperma (aka C mixta), have been inadequately studied. Varieties of these four species were grown in a common (shared) garden. Total extractable lipids in seeds were measured; quantity of fatty acids in a lipophilic extract and content of palmitic, stearic, oleic and linoleic acids were determined by GC-FID, as was the quantity of free fatty acids. Considerable variation in total lipid content and composition, within as well as among species, was observed; on average, C pepo had the lowest proportion of saturated fatty acids, whereas C maxima had the highest. Hybridization in open-pollinated fruits affected seed fatty acid phenotype, and open-pollinated fruits had higher total lipid content. (c) 2006 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.