Changes in cuticular waxes of developing leaves in sesame (Sesamum indicum L.)

Sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) is one of the most important oil seed crops, which has been used as a traditional health food. The objective of this study was to investigate the changes of leaf cuticular waxes during plant growth from 5 to 75 days after seedling emergence, and the variation of leaf waxes with different leaf position; top, middle, and lower positions, using four Korean sesame cultivars, Ahnsan, Danbaeck, Hanseom, and Kyeongheuk. Alkanes in lower leaves and aldehydes in top leaves among leaf positions were the most abundant, with alkanes being with major portion in all leaf position of four sesame cultivars. Total leaf wax load decreased around three-fold between 5 and 30 days, and then remained constant up to day 75. The percentages of alkanes and aldehydes increased between 5 and 15 days and then changed little or increasingly, showing minor variation depending on sesame cultivars. The rate of increase of alkanes was slightly higher than that of aldehydes. Chain length of alkanes and aldehydes became longer from 5 to 30 days, and then remained almost constant till day 75. The major homologue in alkanes was the C29 at day 5 and the C33 constituent after day 30, while the major homologue in aldehydes was the C32 constituent continuously during leaf development. The results demonstrated that the chain length for alkane and aldehyde constituents changed increasingly by chain elongation and wax biosynthesis during leaf development of sesame.