3.2. Fatty acids
The most abundant unsaturated fatty acid was a-linolenic acid
(18:3), and the most abundant saturated fatty acids were palmitic
acid (16:0) and behenic acid (22:0) (Table 3).
Growth temperature and photoperiod were found to affect the
content of fatty acids before cold acclimatisation. For a-linolenic
acid (18:3) and stearic acid (18:0), a day length temperature
interaction was observed. The content of a-linolenic acid (18:3)
at low growth temperature/24 h day length was 13% lower compared
to low growth temperature/12 h day length. Oleic acid
(18:1) and behenic acid (22:0) had the highest level at short day.
The highest content of stearic acid (18:0) was found at high growth
temperature and 12 h day length and 15/9 C and 24 h day length.
For hexadecatrienoic acid (16:3) the content at high growth temperature
was 17% higher with a long photoperiodic regime. A difference
in ratio between unsaturated fatty acids vs. palmitic acid
(16:0) + stearic acid (18:0) was evident in the growth treatments,
by having the highest ratio at 21/15 C-24 h and lowest at 15/
9 C-24 h day length.