Fatty acids of Stachys milanii seeds

For the first time the total acid composition of the seeds of Stachys milanii Petrovic, a species endemic to the central and eastern Balkan Peninsula and growing spontaneously at two localities, was examined by GC and GC/MS. The major fatty acid was linoleic or oleic acid. Besides fatty acids that represent the usual seed oil constituents, 6-octadecynoic and 9-oxononanoic acid were identified in considerable amounts. The high content of 6-octadecynoic acid makes S. milanii seed oil a good potential source for the active substance in antifungal preparations. From the chemotaxonomical point of view, small amounts of octadecatrienoic acid detected in the seeds suggested classification of S. milanii as an archaic taxon.