Composition of the Lipids of Cucumber and Peppers

SUMMARY— Cucumber and green peppers contain 103 mg and 400 mg total lipid per 100g raw vegetable tissue. The neutral lipids, phospholipids and glycolipids comprise 39, 49 and 15% of the cucumber lipids and 82, 2 and 16% of the pepper lipids respectively. The neutral lipids of both were composed mainly of glycerides. In the peppers the triglycerides accounted for 60% of the total lipids. Cucumber, had less glycerides but contained several unidentified sterols. Phosphatidylcholine was the major class in both vegetables accounting for 46 and 76% of the phospholipids of cucumber and pepper respectively. Palmitic, linoleic and linolenic acids were the principal fatty acid components. The lipids of peppers were very rich in linoleic acid (70%) whereas those of the cucumbers contained relatively more linolenic acid.