Composition of the neutral and phospholipid fractions from ginkgo nuts (Ginkgo biloba) and fatty acid composition of individual lipid classes

The purified lipid fraction (1.26% on the wet weight basis) from the nuts of Ginkgo biloba was found to be 90.6% neutral lipids, 7.5% polar lipids, and a very small amount of glycolipids. Main fatty acids in the triglyceride fraction were oleic and linoleic acids, and those in the phospholipid fraction were palmitic acid in addition to these unsaturated acids. The enzymic hydrolysis of the triglyceride and individual phospholipid fractions showed that only the triglyceride and phosphatidylcholine fractions contained relatively large amounts of unsaturated acids in their β‐positions. The gas liquid chromatography‐mass spectrometric analysis of the fatty acids of the steroid ester fraction indicated the presence of lignoceric, cerotic, montanic, and melissic acids as well as a lactone and compounds suspected to be phenolic acids containing long chain diols.