The content and composition of lipids in plant leaves in the Southern Timan (Soivinsky Botanical Reserve)

The paper is concerned with the content and composition of lipids in the leaves of Aconitum septentrionale Koelle (monkshood high), Astragalus danicus Retz. (danish astragalus), and Medicago lupulina L. (hop-shaped alfalfa) in the Southern Timan. The content and composition of lipids have been found to depend rather on the habitat conditions than on the plant species. Leaves of plants grown in shaded conditions accumulate by 1.5 time more lipids and have a lower contribution of phospho- and neutral lipids to the total lipid pool compared to plants grown in light areas. The proportion of saturated fatty acids in the the leaves of M. lupulina, which prefers open habitats, is noticeably higher than that in leaves of A. danicus, which grows in dense herbage. Our results indicate the importance of studying changes in the content and composition of lipids for understanding the mechanisms of plant adaptation to environmental conditions.