Fatty Acid Composition of Lycium (Solanaceae) Species

Background and Aim: There are more than one hundred species of Lycium (Solanaceae) in the arid and semi-arid regions of the world. These drought-resistant medicinal plants have several applications in traditional medicine and modern pharmacy. The fruits of these plants contain vitamins A, E, and C, flavonoids, and other valuable biological compounds. In the present study, the amounts and types of fatty acids in the fruit pulp of Lycium species have been determined. Materials and Methods: The samples were collected from natural habitats in Iran. Cold methylation and gas chromatography were used to extract fatty acids. By examining the drawn curves, fatty acids were identified. The significance of the quantitative results was assessed by a one-way analysis of variance. Results: A total of 22 major fatty acids were observed in the fruit pulps of Lycium species. The highest diversity of fatty acids was observed in L. kopetdaghi. In 4 species of L. shawii, L. edgeworthii, L. ruthenicum, and L. depressum, cis-linoleic is the major and abundant fatty acid, and only in L. kopetdaghi, the palmitic acid is more abundant. Conclusion: The findings of the present study are in agreement with previous research. Due to the composition of valuable fatty acids in Lycium species, further research is recommended for its application in the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries.