Effect of seed development stage on sphingolipid and phospholipid contents in soybean seeds

Glucosylceramide ( GlcCer) and ceramide ( Cer) are the predominant sphingolipids ( SL) in soybeans. They have been recognized as functional components in plants and may have health benefits for humans. The objective of this study was to evaluate the changes in SL and phospholipid ( PL) contents that occurred during seed development. Soybean seeds of three cultivars ( IA1008, IA1010, and IA1014) were harvested at 5-day intervals from 28 days after flowering ( DAF) to 68 DAF ( mature seed). SL and PL contents of seeds were quantified using high-performance liquid chromatography ( HPLC) with an evaporative light scattering detector ( ELSD). SL and PL contents decreased significantly during seed development. Averaged across cultivars, Cer content on a dry weight basis decreased from 51.4 nmol/g at 28 DAF to 22.2nmol/g at 68 DAF, whereas GlcCer content decreased from 522.8nmol/g at 28 DAF to 135.8nmol/g at 68 DAF. PL percentage of the total lipid decreased from 9.1% at 28 DAF to 3.5% at 68 DAF.