Studies on Minor Seed Oils XII

Physico-chemical analysis of seven seeds of indigenous species of plants belonging to six different botanical families have been carried out with the help of UV, IR, TLC-GLC techniques. All the seed oils were found in agreement with the simple fatty acid composition i.e. linoleic-oleic-palmitic type. The chief components among unsaturated acids in the six seed oils are oleic and linoleic acids together forming 40.0-86.0 %. Polygonum sp. surprisingly is found to have combined content of oleic and linoleic acid 13.3 % only but having unexpected high amount of linolenic acid (37.8 %). Among saturated acids, palmitic acid was predominant acid found in the range of 10.0-483 %. This chemical screening of seed oils reveals that the species producing highly unsaturated oils merit attention for utilization as minor seed oils.     

Studies on Minor Seed Oils VI

Seeds from five species fo various plant families have been analyzed for their oil contents and physico-chemical characteristics with the help of spectroscopic (UV, IR) and chromatographic (TLC-GLC) techniques. Out of the five seed oils examined here, only two oils, Ipomea cardiophylla and Echinochloa colona, were found to have good combined oleic-linoleic contents (> 60%). Lepidagathis trinervis was interestingly noted for high content of oleic acid (72%).     

Minor Seed Oils XIX: Examination of Convolvulaceae Seed Oils

Six seed oils from convovulaceae family have been examined. Nounusual acids have been detected in the oils. The fatty acid pattern in all the seed oils is as follows: palmitic (6.6 to 10.0), stearic (12.0 to 19.6), oleic (21.6 to 30.0), linoleic (27.8 to 41.3), linolenic (6.0 to 9.2), arachidic (3.3 to 6.4), and behenic (2.8 to 4.3). Lower fatty acids have not been found in any of the seed oils.     

Minor Seed Oils XVI: Examination of Fifteen Seed Oils

Fifteen seed oils from nine plant families have been examined. Oleic acid is the major component in all the oil samples, maximum being in Amaranthus tricolor (91.0%), except in the seed oil of Physalis maxima. All the samples contain arachidic and behenic acids. The oil samples from Ipomoea species and from Physalis maxima contain the lower fatty acids (caprylic and capric). Linolenic acid is found in eleven samples and lauric acid in all the seed oils except the seed oil of Celosia cristata.     

Minor Seed Oils XVIII: Examination of Twelve Seed Oils

Twelve seed oils from ten plant families have been examined. Except three the seed oils are reported to be medicinal. Oleic acid is the major component in the seed oils from Celosia pyramidalis, Cryptostegia grandiflora, Gomphrena globosa, Isotoma longiflora, Jasminum officinale Var. grandiflorum and Sida humilis. The remaining six seed oils contain linoleic acid as the major component. All the samples contain arachidic and behenic acids. The oil sample from Sida humilis contains lauric acid. Linolenic acid is found in five samples and myristic in seven samples.     

Minor Seed Oils II: Fatty Acid Composition of Some Seed Oils

Three seed oils, Achyranthes aspera, Cucumis callosus and Aberia caffra were examined and were found to contain the following acids (wt%): lauric (0.4,-, 0.2), myristic (1.2, 0.6, 0.9), palmitic (18.6, 10.6, 25.9), stearic (4.4, 10.0, 3.9), arachidic (1.6, 1.6, 1.2), behenic (1.8, 0.6, 0.5), oleic (22.6, 17.5, 19.3), linoleic (49.4, 59.1, 48.1) respectively.     

Studies on Verbenacea Seed Oils

Seed oils of Stachytarpheta mutabilis, Petrea volubilis, Gmelina hystrix were examined for their component acids and were found to contain the following acids (wt. %): Capric (0.5, -, 1.3), Lauric (0.5, 5.9, 1.5), Myristic (1.0, 8.9, 2.3), Palmitic (7.7, 10.7, 29.2), Stearic (5.4, 20.9, 21.1), Arachidic (1.1, 3.5, 6.3), Behenic (1.0, 4.2, 4.7), Oleic (9.1, 42.1, 2.9) and Linoleic (73.7, 3.8, 30.7) respectively.     

Studies on Apocynacea Seed Oils

The fatty acid composition of three seed oils of Apocynaceae has been studied in this investigation. The seed oils of Apocynaceae were examined for their component acids and were found to contain the following acids: Rauwolfia serpentina, Benth, (wt.%) lauric 0.2 %, myristic 0.8 %, palmitic 17.7%, stearic 4.9 %, arachidic 0.9 %, behenic 0.6 %, oleic 34.4 %, and linoleic 40.5 %. Rauwolfia tetraphylla, Linn. syn. Rauwolfia canescens, Linn., Rauwolfia heterophylla, Roem and Schult, (wt.%) lauric 0.9 %, myristic 3.4 %, palmitic 25.7 %, stearic 10.3%, arachidic 1.6%, behenic 1.4%, oleic 36.5 %, and linoleic 20.2 %. Vinca rosea Linn syn. Lochnera rosea, Linn. (wt.%) lauric 0.2%, myristic 1.0%, palmitic 1.4 %, stearic 6.8 %, arachidic 1.3 %, behenic 0.6 %, oleic 73.6 %, and linoleic 15.1 %.     

Minor Seed Oils XVIII: Physico-Chemical Characteristics and Component Acids of Eight Seed Oils

Seed oils from Androgaphis paniculata, Calliopsis elegans, Corochorus trilocularis, Crotalaria heyneana, Emblica officinalis, Mangifera indica, Pergularia daemia and Sopubia dulphinifolia have been examined. Of these, the seeds from Androgaphis paniculata, a shrub, Emblica officinalis, a tree, and Mangifera indica, a tree, contain 39.4, 22.4 and 12.0 percent of oil respectively. Pergularia daemia is rich in stearic acid (37.4%). Crotalaria heyneana, Androgaphis paniculata and Calliopsis elegans seed oils are rich in linoleic acid (60.5%, 58.9% and 48.3%) respectively, while seed oils from Corochorus trilocularis and Emblica officinalis contain linolenic acid (3.6% and 5.9%). Seed oils of Pergularia daemia, Corochorus trilocularis and Emblica officinalis having iodine value from 63 to 85 may be useful as nondrying oils.     

Characteristics and Composition of Four Minor Seed Oils

Seed oils of S. emarginatus Vahl, Z. jujuba, A. excelsa and Delomix regia have been analysed. All the four oils are of semi drying nature and have a higher percentage of unsaturation. S. emarginatus and Z. jujuba are very similar in the composition of the unsaturated acids (67.0% and 65.6%). Oleic content is 56.5% and 53.0% respectively. The iodine value of S. emarginatus (93) is higher than the reported value of a closely related species S. trifoliatus (60.4). The composition of A. excelsa and D. regia are very much similar. A. exelsa has a high oleic acid content (65%) whereas higher fatty acids have not been found. In D. regia the peak for stearic acid is not present in our gas-liquid chromatogram.     

Studies on Herbaceous Seed Oils XI

Seeds from eight species were analysed by standard procedures for oil and protein contents. The fatty acid composition of the oils was determined by GLC. Five species were found to contain oils above 20% and none of them is rich in protein. Some of the oils have a composition fairly similar to the oils at present in common use. Five seed oils are interesting in having more than 50% of saturated acids of the total fatty acids. T. involucrata seed seems to be a promising species because of its high oil and linoleic acid (61.7%) contents.     

Studies on Herbaceous Seed Oils II

Seed oils from seven species comprising the unusual families, Apocynaceae, Tiliaceae, Capparidaceae and Cyperaceae have been analysed using spectroscopic and chromatographic techniques. The compositional data suggest that oils from species of less familiar botanical families possess peculiar composition as compared to common seed oils.     

Studies on Herbaceous Seed Oils III

Seed oils from seven species belonging to four botanical families have been analysed for their fatty acid composition by using chromatographic and spectroscopic techniques. Oils from six species are very interesting in containing high percentage (63.7–84.0%) of C₁₈ unsaturated acids. Chemical screening of seed oils reveals that the species producing highly unsaturated oils merit attention for evaluation as perspective crops.     

Studies on Herbaceous Seed Oils X

Fatty acid composition of six species belonging to different less familiar botanical families was determined by making use of chromatographic and spectroscopic techniques. All species were found to have high iodine values, out of which one species (item 2) showed iodine value above 180. The total of “linolenic” and “linoleic” acids varied from 61.1 to 74.8%. Four species (Passiflora foetida, Chrozophora plicata, Salvia plebeia and Fimbristylis quinqueangularis) deserve agronomic evaluation as the first species resembles Safflower (especially grown in tropics) and the latter three species yield linoleicrich seed oils.     

Studies on Herbaceous Seed Oils V

Seeds from seven species of plants belonging to less familiar botanical families were analysed for oil and protein, and the fatty acid composition of the oils was determined by gas liquid chromatography. Oils from five species are interesting in containing high percentage (71.9–83.7%) of C₁₈ unsaturated acids. Seeds from Tropaeolum majus contain oil which, on the basis of chromatographic analysis, appears to be a suitable industrial source of cis-11-eicosenoic and cis-13-docosenoic (erucic) acids.     

Studies of Safflower Seed Oils

Three varieties of Safflower cultivated in Pakistan have been studied. These contain 29.7–32.0% oils on the basis of dried and undecorticated seeds. Their fatty acid composition as determined by GLC is myristic (0.9–3.1%), palmitic (9.4–12.0%), stearic (2.3–5.5%), oleic (14.0–15.7%) and linoleic (65.9–73.4%).     

The Effect of Seed Pretreatment and Extraction Conditions on the Amount of Minor Components in Seed Oils II. Chlorophyll and Related Pigments

A large number of samples of rapeseed have been analysed for chlorophyll content, using various solvents and extractors. The moisture content of seeds was varied in hexane extraction of unheated seeds as well as “cooked” seeds (heat treated in a closed vessel). The results obtained indicate a marked influence of the nature of the solvent on the absorbance at 670 nm (strongly correlated to total chlorophyll); chloroform-methanol (3 : 1, v/v) giving the highest values. Further, the “cooking” process markedly increased the value of A₆₇₀ when hexane was used as an extraction agent. The character details of the “chlorophyll” absorbance spectrum (chlorophylls and pheophytins) was also influenced by the extraction conditions. The data presented indicate that the hexane solution of the oil has to be evaporated with care and the oil stored in the dark if not immediately analysed in a photometer. The binary solvent mixture heptane/ethanol (3:1, v/v) was found to be very appropriate since the extract could be used both for the gravimetric determination of oil content and the photometric determination of the chlorophyll content of the oil. The absorbance maximum for the green pigment mixture varied slightly with the seed sample, but a majority of the samples had absorbance maximum at 667 nm. A method for the semi-quantitative determination of the ratios of chlorophyll to pheophytin has beed devised. High quality rapeseed had predominantly chlorophyll whereas low-quality seeds (mould-infested, heat-damaged etc.) had more of pheophytin than of chlorophyll. Based on these studies a highly automatic system for the simultaneous analysis of oil content and chlorophyll content, capable of handling several hundreds of rapeseed samples daily has been developed.     

Studies on Some Minor Oilseeds

The seeds from three plant species have been analysed for oil and protein contents and fatty acid composition. All the seeds were rich in oil and protein. The oil from Myroxylon balsamum contained four newly identified acids. The sum of oleic and linoleic acids in these oils ranged from 70.7-74.8%.