Linen Most Useful: Perspectives on Structure, Chemistry, and Enzymes for Retting Flax
Table 1
Chemical composition (mg/g) of the cuticle/epidermis layer of flax stems.
Component
Cultivar and harvest time1
Laura (mature)
Omega (mature)
Ariane (fiber)
Ariane (mature)
Total aromatics
5.8
7.6
2.2
3.0
Total wax
63.6
36.4
37.7
39.4
Total cutin
84.1
35.1
80.8
43.7
Total sterols
1.7
0.9
0.3
0.3
Selected lipids
C-16 fatty acid
16.9 ± 2.8
8.8 ± 0.7
14.5 ± 3.9
9.7 ± 0.5
C-18 fatty acid
10.8 ± 0.3
6.1 ± 0.4
6.7 ± 0.5
5.3 ± 0.3
C-28 alcohol
18.9 ± 2.4
12.6 ± 0.5
6.0 ± 2.6
7.9 ± 1.0
8,(9),16-dihyroxy C-16 fatty acid (mixture)
73.7 ± 15.0
31.0 ± 2.4
71.9 ± 2.9
38.4 ± 1.8
Percentage of bast
18.3
24.1
13.9
21.0
1Laura and Ariane are fiber types. Omega is a seed type. Mature refers to harvest time at full seed maturity, while fiber refers to harvest for optimal fiber quality. Data adapted from [23].
