Anemochorous and zoochorous seeds of trees from the Brazilian savannas differ in fatty acid content and composition

Fatty acids (FAs) stored as triacylglycerols (TAGs) are an important source of carbon and energy for germination and seedling development, particularly for plants with small wind-dispersed seeds, allowing greater efficiency in storing both energy and carbon. These plants should be under strong selection to produce seeds rich in FAs and with large amounts of saturated FAs. Their closely packed single-chain configuration allows greater packing, more carbon and energy per unit mass, and are less costly to produce. Efficient carbon storage would be less crucial for zoochorous species, which can reach much larger seed sizes (mass). We analysed the transesterified FA profile from seeds of 22 anemochorous and zoochorous tree species from the Cerrado savannas of Central Brazil. We tested if seed FA content covaried with seed mass and if anemochorous and zoochorous seeds differed in FA contents and distribution. Fatty acids were an important seed source of carbon and energy for most species. Fifteen different FAs were identified. Oleic, linoleic and linolenic tended to be the predominant unsaturated FAs. Oleic acid corresponded to more than 60 % of the total transesterified FAs in seeds of Kielmeyera coriacea, Qualea dichotoma and Triplaris americana. Linoleic acid corresponded to more than 50 % of total FA in Dalbergia miscolobium, Parkia platycephala and Ferdinandusa elliptica while linolenic acid was the dominant component in Inga cylindrica. Across species, palmitic and stearic were the dominant saturated FAs. The only exception was lauric acid (68 % of total FA) in seeds of Qualea grandiflora. On a log(10) scale, as the seed increased in mass, accumulation of FAs tends to proceed at a faster rate in anemochorous species than in zoochorous species. They also became increasingly richer in saturated FAs. Zoochorous species had seed TAGs with higher proportion of polyunsaturated FAs. Fatty acids (FAs) stored as triacylglycerols (TAGs) in seeds are an important source of carbon and energy for germination and seedling development, particularly for plants with small wind-dispersed seeds, allowing greater efficiency in storing both energy and carbon. We analysed the FA profile from seeds of 22 wind- and animal-dispersed tree species from the Cerrado savannas of Brazil. Fifteen different FAs were identified. Oleic, linoleic and linolenic tended to be the predominant unsaturated FAs while palmitic and stearic were the dominant saturated FAs for most species. Wind-dispersed species produced seeds that not only were richer in FAs but in saturated FAs. Their closely packed carbon chains would allow greater carbon and energy per unit mass and more efficient carbon storage. Zoochorous species, which reached larger seed sizes, had seed TAGs with higher proportion of polyunsaturated FAs.

Automated summary

Fatty acids stored as triacylglycerols (TAGs) in seeds are an important source of carbon and energy for germination and seedling development, particularly for plants with small wind-dispersed seeds, allowing greater efficiency in storing both energy and carbon. Wind-dispersed species produced seeds that not only were richer in FAs but in saturated FAs. Zoochorous species, which reached larger seed sizes, had seed TAGs with higher proportion of polyunsaturated FAs.