[STUDY OF LIPIDS SEED'S OIL OF VITEX AGNUS CASTUS GROWING IN GEORGIA]

Area of Science:

• Phytochemistry
• Lipidomics
• Pharmacognosy

Background:

• Vitex agnus castus L. (chaste tree) is traditionally used in herbal medicine.
• Understanding its seed's chemical composition is crucial for validating medicinal applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the qualitative and quantitative lipid profile of Vitex agnus castus seeds.
• To identify specific fatty acids present in the seed oil.

Main Methods:

• Extraction of neutral and polar lipids using hexane and chloroform-methanol mixtures.
• Separation and analysis using silica gel thin-layer chromatography (TLC).
• Identification of free fatty acids via high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC).

Main Results:

• Neutral lipids constituted 10% of dry material, including hydrocarbons, triglycerides, free fatty acids, and sterols.
• Polar lipids identified were phospholipids: lysophosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylinositol, phosphatidylethanolamine, and N-acylphosphatidylethanolamine.
• HPLC analysis identified lauric, myristic, palmitic, stearic, oleic, linoleic, linolenic, arachidic, and behenic acids.

Conclusions:

• The seeds of Vitex agnus castus L. possess a distinct lipid profile.
• The identified fatty acids, particularly unsaturated and polyunsaturated ones, contribute to the oil's unique composition.
• This unique composition indicates high biological activity and potential therapeutic value in medicine.