Abstract: [Objective] To reveal the formation rhythm of fatty acids in Plukenetia volubilis seeds during developmental process, and provide a scientific basis for the promotion of planting area and the breeding of new varieties, in this study the accumulation characteristics of fatty acids in the seeds of P. volubilis was studied, and the fatty acid components in the seeds at different developmental stages were analyzed.[Method] The fatty acid components of 18, 36, 54, 72 to 90 DAF seeds from mature P. volubilis plant were extracted by liquid nitrogen, and the relative content of each component and their dynamic changes were analyzed by GC-MS.[Result] The results showed that 56 chemical substances, including 14 fatty acid compounds(80.13%), 7 ester compounds(2.70%), 24 alkane compounds(12.40%), 7 benzene compounds(3.96%) and 4 other compounds(0.81%), were detected and identified from P. volubilis seed during developmental process. The fatty acid compounds mainly contained 9,12-octadecadienoic acid, 9,12,15-octadecatrienoic acid, hexadecanoic acid, octadecanoic acid, 9-octadecenoic acid and 16-methyl-heptadecanoic acid. With the increase of maturity, total content of fatty acid compounds increased gradually from 53.60%, 76.30%, 76.78%, 96.43% to 97.54%. Among them, 9,12-octadecadienoic acid, and 9,12,15-octadecatrienoic acid showed an increasing trend, while hexadecanoic acid, octadecanoic acid, 9-octadecenoic acid and 16-methyl-heptadecanoic acid showed a decreasing trend.[Conclusion] During the seed development of P. volubilis, the fatty acid components gradually changed from saturated fatty acid and monounsaturated fatty acid to polyunsaturated fatty acids. P. volubilis has the characters of shorter maturity and higher conversion efficiency of unsaturated fatty acid compared with other oil plants, which may be related to their high photosynthetic rate. Therefore, P. volubilis, as a strong light-required edible oil plant, is suitable cultivated in low latitudes region such as Guangdong, Guangxi Yunnan, Fujian, Hainan and Taiwan provinces, which could enrich oil plant resource and increase edible oil kinds in China.

Key words: Plukenetia volubilis, development process, fatty acid, oil plant