Fatty Acids in Dandelion Pollen Gathered by Honey Bees, Apis mellifera (Hymenoptera: Apidae)2

Abstract

Pollen from the dandelion, Taraxacum officinale (T. vulgare (Lam.) Schrank), collected by honey bees was saponified with ethanolic potassium hydroxide, and the saponifiable lipid fraction was isolated from the reflux mixture by solvent extraction. Fatty acids in the saponifiable material were esterified with 2,2-dimethoxypropane. Gas-liquid chromatographic analysis of the methyl esters demonstrated that 8 saturated and 3 unsaturated fatty acids were present in the samples as follows: caproic, capric, and myristic acid, 1.7%; caprylic and oleic acid, 7.4%; stearic and behenic acid, 17.9%; lauric and linoleic acid, 27.5%; and palmitic and linolenic acid, 45.5%.