Analyzing seed weight,fatty acid composition,oil, and protein contents in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Vernonia galamensis</Emphasis> germplasm by near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy

Vernonia galamensis is a potential new industrial oilseed crop from the Asteraceae family. The interest in this species is due to the presence of a high vernolic acid content of its seed oil, which is useful in the oleochemical industry for paints and coatings. The development of a rapid, precise, robust, nondestructive, and economical method to evaluate quality components is of major interest to growers, processors, and breeders. NIR reflectance spectroscopy (NIRS) is routinely used for the prediction of quality traits in many crops. This study was conducted to establish a rapid analytical method for determining the quality of intact seeds of V. galamensis. A total of 114 Vernonia accessions were scanned to determine seed weight, FA composition, oil, and protein contents using NIRS. Conventional chemical analysis for FA composition, total oil, and protein contents were performed by GC, Soxhlet extraction, and the Dumas combustion method, respectively. Calibration equations were developed and tested through cross-validation. The coefficient of determination in cross-validation for FA ranged from 0.47 (linoleic acid) to 0.55 (vernolic acid), and for oil, protein, and seed weight from 0.71 (oil) to 0.86 (seed protein). It was concluded that NIRS calibration equations developed for seed weight and seed quality traits can be satisfactorily used as early screening methods in V. galamensis breeding programs.     

Comparison of techniques for the extraction of tobacco seed oil

The yield and fatty acid (FA) composition of the oil obtained from the seeds of a semi‐oriental tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.) plant, type Otlja, by various recovery techniques, which are: Soxhlet extraction (SE), maceration (ME), indirect and direct ultrasonic extraction (IUE and DUE, respectively) and cold pressing (CP), were compared. The solvent extractions of ground tobacco seeds (TS) were carried out by n‐hexane, while CP was used to recover the oil from the TS. The highest oil yield (32.9 g/100 g, i.e. 93% of the oil content in the seeds) was achieved by CP. Ultrasonically assisted solvent extractions appear to be inefficient in recovering the oil from the ground TS, as the oil yields were only 45–55% of the oil content, depending on the extraction conditions. Independently of the technique applied, linoleic acid was the major FA of the tobacco seed oil (TSO). The compositions of the TSO extracted by SE, ME, IUE and CP were very similar to each other, and the composition of the TSO recovered by DUE depended on the ultrasonic power input. The content of linoleic acid was reduced, while the content of saturated FA was increased by increasing the ultrasonic power from 5 to 50 W.     

Lipid Fractions,Fatty Acid Profiles,and Bioactive Compounds of Lithospermum officinale L. Seeds

Seeds of Lithospermum officinale L. from different climatic zones were analyzed for new sources of γ-linolenic acid (GLA, 18:3n-6) and stearidonic acid (SDA, 18:4n-3). Cultured Borago officinalis was also analyzed for comparative purposes. Analyses were conducted for fatty acid (FA) profiles of the glyceride oils from the seeds and in the neutral and polar lipids by gas chromatography (GC); lipid classes by open column chromatography and preparative thin layer chromatography (TLC); and tocopherols, sterols, and phenolic compounds by high-performance liquid chromatography with diode array detection (HPLC-DAD), and the later compounds were confirmed by liquid-chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC–MS). L. officinale from St. Petersburg Botanical Garden showed the highest percentage of GLA (17.9% of total FA), while wild-growing L. officinale from the Rostov region contained the highest percentage of SDA (17.2% of total FA). Total FA content ranged from 11.3 to 20.8% of seed weight. Neutral and polar lipids accounted for ~98 and 2.27%, respectively, of total lipids. Five neutral lipid classes were identified (% of NL): triterpene esters (1.3), triacylglycerols (93.1), free FA (1.8), diacylglycerols (1.4), and monoacylglycerols (2.4). The highest tocopherol content was found in samples from Chechen Republic (35.7 mg/100 g), in which the δ isomer was the main component. Samples from the Rostov region had the highest amounts of sterols (83.8 mg/100 g), and Δ⁵-avenasterol was the predominant compound in all samples. L. officinale seeds contain high amounts of phenolic compounds (389.9 mg/100 g as upper limit), in which rosmarinic acid is highlighted. Overall, all data suggest the possibility of using L. officinale seed oil in pharmaceutical and cosmetic formulae and as functional food.     

Fatty acids and oil content in white lupin seed as affected by production practices

Characteristics of the seed oil of white lupin (Lupinus albus L.), a potential alternative winter crop in the mid-Atlantic region of the United States, are not well established. Replicated experiments were conducted during the 1998–1999 and 1999–2000 growing seasons with a determinate and an indeterminate cultivar to characterize oil and FA in lupin seed in relation to production practices. The experiments were planted in early October, late October, and mid-November using row spacings of 0.3, 0.6, and 0.9 m at each planting time. Seeds from the planting date of early October had significantly (P<0.05) higher oil content than the later plantings (late October and mid-November). A closer row spacing (0.3 m) also had significantly (P<0.05) higher oil content than the wider row spacing (0.9 m). Planting data effects on FA content were significant for some FA, but row spacing did not affect FA contents. Oil content in the seed varied from 7.2 to 8.2% (w/w). The oil from white lupin seed contained FA in the order of 18∶1>18∶2> 18∶3>16∶0>20∶1>22∶1>22∶0>18∶0>24∶0>20∶0. The saturated FA/unsaturated FA ratio in lupin oil was 0.14. White lupin seed contained higher contents of oil and FA than literature values for seed of navy, kidney, and pinto beans.     

Composition of Catalpa ovata Seed Oil and Flavonoids in Seed Meal as Well as Their Antioxidant Activities

In view of the growing demand for vegetable oil, currently exploration of some non‐conventional oils is of great concern. This study firstly analyzed the contents of fatty acids, phytosterols, and tocopherols in Catalpa ovata seed oil collected from four different Provinces in China. Then the composition of flavonoids as well as their antioxidant activities in defatted seed meal was determined. The results showed that the relative oil content in C. ovata seeds ranged from 24.0 to 36.0 % and seed oil was mainly composed of fatty acids linoleic acid (43.4–50.1 %), α‐linolenic acid (23.8–24.4 %), and oleic acid (13.1–16.2 %). The content of unsaturated fatty acids was up to 85.0 %. Sterol in seed oil mainly contained campesterol, stigmasterol, and β‐sitosterol. β‐sitosterol accounted for 74.0 % of the total sterol. The tocopherol content was 173.0–225.7 mg/100 g. Defatted seed meal from Hubei Province showed the highest content of total flavonoids (11 mg/g) and the strongest activities for DPPH radicals scavenging, ABTS radicals scavenging, and ferric reducing antioxidant power compared with other defatted seed meal in this study. Seven flavonoids were identified from C. ovata seed meal. These results suggest that C. ovata seeds may be developed as a new source of oil and can also be properly used in pharmaceuticals and cosmetics.     

Interesterification of tea seed oil and its application in margarine production

Blends of hydrogenated and nonhydrogenated tea seed oil (Lahijan variety) (30:70, w/w) were chemically interesterified at 60, 90, and 120°C for 30, 60, and 90 min in the presence of 1% (w/w) NaOH. Physicochemical properties of the products were compared with those of the noninteresterified mixture. Statistical comparison of m.p., iodine values (IV), and solid fat contents (SFC) showed that the sample having the highest ranking was interesterified at 120°C for 30 min. The sample was used as a hardstock (40%), with liquid tea seed oil and sunflower oil (ratios of 100:0, 80:20, 60:40, 40:60, 20:80, and 0:100) as, a softstock (60%) for production of table magarine, and the properties of these margarines were compared with those of commercial ones. Samples E and D (ratio of 80:20 and 60:40 liquid tea seed oil/sunflower oil, respectively) had the lowest significant differences with commercial table margarine for physicochemical (m.p., IV, and SFC) and organoleptic characteristics, respectively. Generally, based on m.p. and SFC, margarines E and D were classified as soft margarine. The trans FA content of E, D, and commercial margarines were 1.8, 1.8, and 2.2%, respectively.     

Chemical Composition and Fatty Acid Profile of Khat (Catha edulis) Seed Oil

The proximate, physicochemical, and fatty acid compositions of seed oil extracted from khat (Catha edulis) were determined. The oil, moisture, crude protein, crude fiber, crude carbohydrate, and ash content in seeds were 35.54, 6.63, 24, 1.01, 30.4 %, and 1.32 g/100 g DW respectively. The free fatty acids, peroxide value, saponification value, and iodine value were 2.98 %, 12.65 meq O₂/kg, 190.60 mg KOH/g, and 145 g/100 g oil, respectively. Linolenic acid (C_18:3, 50.80 %) and oleic (C_18:1, 16.96 %) along with palmitic acid (C_16:0, 14.60 %) were the dominant fatty acids. The seed oil of khat can be used in industry for the preparation of liquid soaps and shampoos. Furthermore, high levels of unsaturated fatty acids make it an important source of nutrition especially as an animal product substitute for omega‐3 fatty acids owing to the high content of linolenic acid.     

Characterization of cold-pressed onion, parsley, cardamom, mullein, roasted pumpkin, and milk thistle seed oils

Cold-pressed onion, parsley, cardamom, mullein, roasted pumpkin, and milk thistle seed oils were characterized for their fatty acid (FA) composition, tocopherol content, carotenoid profile, total phenolic content (TPC), oxidative stability index (OSI), color, physical properties, and radical-scavenging capacities against peroxyl (oxygen radical-scavenging capacity) and stable DPPH (diphenylpicrylhydrazyl) radicals. Parsley seed oil had the highest oleic acid content, 81 g/100 g total FA, and the lowest saturated fat among the tested oils. Roasted pumpkin seed oil contained the highest level of total carotenoids, zeaxanthin, β-carotene, cryptoxanthin, and lutein at 71 μmol/kg and 28.5, 6.0, 4.9, and 0.3 mg/kg oil, respectively. Onion seed oil exhibited the highest levels of α- and total tocopherols under the experimental conditions. One of the parsley seed oils exhibited the strongest DPPH scavenging capacity and the highest oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) value of 1098 μmol Trolox equiv/g oil. However, ORAC values of the tested seed oils were not necessarily correlated to their DPPH scavenging capacities under the experimental conditions. The highest TPC of 3.4 mg gallic acid equiv/g oil was detected in one of the onion seed oils. The OSI values were 13.3, 16.9–31.4, 47.8, and 61.7 h for the milk thistle, onion, mullein, and roasted pumpkin seed oils, respectively. These data suggest that these seed oils may serve as dietary sources of special FA, tocopherols, carotenoids, phenolic compounds, and natural antioxidants. An erratum to this article is available at .     

The Fatty Acid Profile and Phenolic Composition of Descurainia sophia Seeds Extracted by Supercritical CO2

Oil and phenolics were extracted from Descurainia sophia (Sophia) seeds by a supercritical CO₂ system. Extractions were conducted in two sequential steps, first using 100 % CO₂ and then adding 10 % ethanol as co‐solvent. The extracts were collected in each step using two separate collectors operating at different pressures. The extraction run was 3 and 4 h for the first period, and 2 h for the second period. The majority of the oil was collected in the first extraction period while phenolic compounds were obtained in the second extraction period. A combined mode of static/dynamic extraction (3 h running and 1 h soaking in CO₂) was also used in the first extraction period, which enhanced the total extraction yield (29.3 ± 0.5 %) and was comparable to the 4 h extraction yield (31.4 ± 0.1 %). The total fatty acid (FA) content of oil in collector 1 (0.94 g) was nearly twice that in collector 2 (0.60 g). The oil contained 14 FAs with α‐linolenic being predominant (48.5 %), with a total 91.1 % unsaturated FAs, a ω3/ω6 ratio of 2.7, and an erucic acid content of 6.2 %. More than 10 phenolic compounds were detected by HPLC in the Sophia seed extracts of which sinapic acid was the dominant compound. Sophia seed extracts showed high levels of antioxidant activity. These results suggest that Sophia seed oil and phenolics have the potential for functional food and pharmaceutical applications.     

Ratios of Regioisomers of the Molecular Species of Triacylglycerols in Lesquerella (Physaria fendleri) Oil Estimated by Mass Spectrometry

The ratios of regioisomers of 72 molecular species of triacylglycerols (TAG) in lesquerella oil were estimated using the electrospray ionization mass spectrometry of the lithium adducts of TAG in the HPLC fractions of lesquerella oil. The ratios of ion signal intensities (or relative abundances) of the fragment ions from the neutral losses of fatty acids (FA) as α‐lactones at the sn‐2 position (MS³) of the molecular species of TAG were used as the ratios of the regioisomers. The order of the preference of FA incorporation at the sn‐2 position of the molecular species of TAG in lesquerella was as: normal FA > OH18 (monohydroxy FA with 18 carbon atoms) > diOH18 > OH20 > diOH20, while in castor was as: normal FA > OH18 > OH20 > diOH18 > triOH18. Elongation (from C₁₈ to C₂₀) was more effective than hydroxylation in lesquerella to incorporate hydroxy FA at the sn‐1/3 positions. The block of elongation in lesquerella may be used to increase the content of hydroxy FA, e.g., ricinoleate, at the sn‐2 position of TAG and to produce triricinolein (or castor oil) for industrial uses. The content of normal FA at the sn‐2 position was about 95 %, mainly oleate (38 %), linolenate (31 %) and linoleate (23 %). This high normal FA content (95 %) at the sn‐2 position was a big space for the replacement of ricinoleate to increase the hydroxy FA content in lesquerella oil. The content of hydroxy FA at the sn‐1/3 positions was 91 % mainly lesquerolic acid (85 %) and the content of normal FA was 6.7 % at the sn‐1/3 position in lesquerella oil.     

In situ quality evaluation of Camelina sativa landrace

Camelina sativa is an alternative, low input oilseed crop with oil of high nutritional value. In Slovenia, C. sativa landrace has been grown by local farmers in the Koro?ka region since the middle of the 20th century. In our study, we determined oil and glucosinolate content (GLS) of camelina seed and free fatty acid (FFA), peroxide value (PV), iodine value (IV), tocopherol contents (T), and fatty acid profile of camelina oil from ten locations over three consecutive growing seasons. The oil content ranged from 28.78 to 40.21%, while IV, PV, and FFA fell into a range that makes this oil useful in various nutritional applications. Camelina was remarkably rich in essential n ? 3 α‐linolenic acid (33.32–37.65%) and γ‐T (532–798 mg/kg) in oil, and GLS (16.39–41.43 µmol/g) in seed. Due to observed variability, it seems that the seed and oil characteristics of C. sativa landrace are affected by the local environmental conditions at a specific farm location and by variable genotypes between farms as a result of a more than half a century of environmental selection. Practical applications: Camelina sativa landrace in Koro?ka, Slovenia has a long history. The agricultural environment together with the traditional diet of this region ensures preservation of this landrace and limits diffusion of modern hybrids. This plant variety has not been characterized yet. The important seed and oil quality parameters presented in this work will be useful for the determination of the nutritional value of the oil, recognizing Slovenian camelina oil as a unique vegetable oil with specific geographic origin as well as focal point for plant breeders.     

Characterization of Seed,Oil, and Fatty Acid Methyl Esters of an Ethyl Methanesulfonate Mutant of Camelina sativa with Reduced Seed-Coat Mucilage

Camelina sativa L. Crantz (large-seeded false flax) is a promising oilseed crop for the production of edible oil and biodiesel. An ethyl methanesulfonate (EMS) mutant of C. sativa was identified that lacked seed coat mucilage (SCM) using Ruthenium Red (RR) colorimetric staining. Compared with wild-type (WT) plants, the mucilage-defect mutant line (Cs98) had smaller seeds and seeds with significantly less SCM, but exhibited significantly taller plant height. The seed mass and oil content of the seeds of Cs98 were significantly lower than those of WT plants. However, the seeds of Cs98 had significantly higher crude protein and starch contents, but a significantly lower neutral detergent-soluble fiber (NDSF) fraction (pectin) content. Although Cs98 seed contained significantly higher mineral contents for various macro- and microminerals (e.g., Mg, S, Al, Cu, Mn, Fe, and Zn), these large differences did not prevent the Cs98 seed biodiesel from passing all American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) standards for macro- and micromineral content and viscosity, pH, and turbidity. Notably, the oil and biodiesel derived from Cs98 had significantly reduced viscosity compared with WT. Water washes of oil derived from WT and Cs98 seed confirmed that the Cs98 contained only 57% of the mucilage content of the WT oil washes. These significantly lower pectic residues are expected to improve the flow characteristics of the resultant oil and require less washing during biodiesel production.     

Physiochemical Properties of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Jatropha curcas</Emphasis> Seed Oil from Different Origins and Candidate Plus Plants (CPPs)

The physicochemical properties of Jatropha seed oil from 9 geographical origins and 24 candidate plus plants (CPPs) were evaluated. The yield of seed oil obtained by Soxhlet extraction using n-hexane as solvent varied from 40.0% (Malaysia) to 48.4% (Vietnam) among seeds from different origins and 32.1% (CPP-17) to 48.8% (CPP-01) (w/w) among CPPs. Density, specific gravity, and refractive index of oil showed very little differences among all the seed sources. Oil from Borneo had the highest free fatty acid (FFA) content (2.3%) and a South African sample had the lowest FFA (0.4%), as oleic acids. Seed oil of CPP-13 had the highest FFA content (1.2%) and seed oil of CPP-17 the lowest (0.3%). Most of the CPPs in this study had an FFA content of less than 1%. Jatropha seed oil of Philippine origin had the highest iodine value (187.3 mg/g oil) and seed oil from Borneo the lowest (83.5 mg/g oil). The lowest saponification values were obtained from seed oil of Philippine origin (189.5 mg KOH/g) and CPP-22 (183.3 mg KOH/g oil) from Malaysia. The maximum higher heating value (40.3 MJ/kg) was obtained from seed oil from Borneo. The cetane numbers range from 25.4 (Indonesia) to 56.0 (Borneo) among the oils of base material and 46.4 (CPP-15) to 53.7 (CPP-06) among CPPs. This study gives basic information of relevance for biodiesel production using Jatropha seeds from various origins.     

Nondestructive Estimation of Fat Constituents of Sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) Seeds by Near‐Infrared Reflectance Spectroscopy

A rapid and efficient method for oil constituent estimation in intact sesame seeds was developed through near‐infrared reflectance spectroscopy (NIRS) and was used to evaluate a sesame germplasm collection conserved in China. A total of 342 samples were scanned by reflectance NIR in a range of 950–1650 nm, and the reference values for oil content and fatty acid (FA) profiles were measured by Soxhlet and gas chromatograph methods. Useful chemometric models were developed using partial least squares regression with full cross‐validation. The equations had low standard errors of cross‐validation, and high coefficient of determination of cross‐validation (R_c²) values (>0.8) except for stearic acid (0.794). In external validation, r² values of oil and FA composition equations ranged from 0.815 (arachidonic acid) to 0.877 (linoleic acid). The relative predictive determinant (RPD_v) values for all equations were more than 2.0. The whole‐seed NIR spectroscopy equations for oil content and FA profiles can be used for sesame seed quality rapid evaluation. The background information of the 4399 germplasm resources and accessions with high linoleic acid content identified in this study should be useful for developing new sesame cultivars with desirable FA compositions in future breeding programs.     

FA composition of the oil extracted from farmed atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.) viscera

The FA composition of visceral oil extracted from farmed Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.) viscera was studied. Seventeen FA were identified in the extracted visceral oil, and the major FA were 18∶1n9, 16∶0, 16∶1n7, 20∶5n3 (EPA), 14∶0, and 22∶6n3 (DHA). The percentages of saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated FA in the total FA were 31.7, 36.0, and 32.2%, respectively. Compared with other fish oils, oil from farmed Atlantic salmon had much higher EPA (1.64 g/100 g) and DHA (1.47 g/100 g) contents. The FA profile of the salmon visceral oil was similar to that of the salmon fillet. Thus, the salmon visceral oil could be a replacement for the oil obtained from edible salmon fillet and used in functional foods or feeds requiring a high level of omega-3 FA. Furthermore, producing visceral oil is also beneficial to salmon fish industry by adding value back to the processing waste.     

An efficient method for the purification of arachidonic acid from fungal single-cell oil (ARASCO)

PUFA, such as arachidonic acid (AA), have several pharmaceutical applications. An efficient method was developed to obtain high-purity arachidonic acid (AA) from ARASCO, a single-cell oil from Martek (Columbia, MD). The method comprises three steps. In the first step, AA was enriched from saponified ARASCO oil by low-temperature solvent crystallization using a polar, aprotic solvent, which gave a FA fraction containing 75.7% AA with 97.3% yield. The second step involved enriching AA content via lipase-catalyzed selective esterification of FA with lauryl alcohol. When a mixture of 1 g FA/lauryl alcohol (2∶1 mol/mol), 50 mg Candida rugosa lipase, and 0.33 g water was incubated at 50°C for 24 h with stirring at 400 rpm, the AA content in the unesterified FA fraction was as much as 89.3%, with ca. 90% yield. Finally, a solvent extraction procedure, in which acetonitrile was the extracting solvent, was used to enrich AA from FA fraction dissolved in n-hexane. The best results were obtained when 2 g FA was dissolved in 80 mL hexane and extracted twice, each time with 20 mL acetonitrile at −20°C, by allowing 2 h storage. This step gave a FA fraction containing 95.3% AA with 81.2% yield. By using this three-step process the AA content in the saponified single-cell oil (ARASCO) was increased from 38.8 to 95.3% with a total yield of ca. 71%.     

Antioxidant Activity and Total Polyphenols Content of Camellia Oil Extracted by Optimized Supercritical Carbon Dioxide

In this study, Camellia oil is co-extracted from Camellia oleifera seeds and green tea scraps by supercritical carbon dioxide (SC-CO₂), which is optimized on the extraction yield, ABTS-scavenging activity, and total polyphenols content (TPC) of oil by single-factor experiments combined with response surface methodology (RSM). The extraction temperature, pressure, dynamic time, carbon dioxide (CO₂) flow rate, and seed mass ratio were investigated with single-factor experiments. The results indicated the optimum CO₂ flow rate and dynamic extraction time were 15 L hour⁻¹ and 60 min (i.e., 2.382 kg CO₂/100 g sample). Furthermore, the complicated effects of extraction temperature (40–50 °C), pressure (20–30 MPa), and seed mass ratio (0.25–0.75) were optimized by RSM based on the Box–Behnken design (BBD). The models with high R-squared values were obtained and used to predict the optimum operating conditions of the process. Under the optimum operating conditions (i.e., temperature of 46 °C, pressure of 30 MPa, and seed mass ratio of 0.35), the extraction yield, ABTS-scavenging activity, and TPC of oil were 14.43 ± 0.17 g/100 g sample, 73.70 ± 0.34%, and 2.18 ± 0.05 mg GAE/g oil, which were in good agreement with the predicted values. In addition, the experiments indicated that the Camellia oil obtained was rich in polyphenols, resulting in better oxidation stability and antioxidant activity than the original oil.     

Chemical Properties and Fatty Acid Composition of Thunbergia fragrans Roxb. Seed Oil

The physicochemical and fatty acid compositions of seed oil extracted from Thunbergia fragrans were determined. The oil content, free fatty acids, peroxide value, saponification value and iodine value were 21.70 %, 2.25 % (as oleic acid), 9.6 (mequiv. O₂/kg), 191.71 (mg KOH/g) and 127.84 (g/100 g oil) respectively. The fatty acid profiles of the methyl esters showed the presence of 90.16 % unsaturated fatty acids and 9.84 % saturated fatty acids. Palmitoleic acid, which is usually found in marine foods and is unique in seed oils of botanical origin, was the major component (79.24 %). The oil can also be used in industries for the preparation of liquid soaps, shampoos and alkyd resin.     

Physicochemical Properties and Fatty Acid Profile of Phoenix Tree Seed and its Oil

Various components of Phoenix tree (Firmiana simplex) seed were determined. Oil, protein, moisture, ash, and fiber accounted for 27.8 ± 0.3, 19.7 ± 0.4, 7.5 ± 0.2, 4.4 ± 0.3, and 31.23 ± 0.93 % (w/w) of the seed, respectively. The acid value, peroxide value, saponification value, and unsaponifiable matter content of Phoenix tree seed oil extracted using the Soxhlet method were 3.73 ± 0.02 mg KOH/g, 1.97 ± 0.21 mmol/kg, 183.74 ± 2.37 mg KOH/g, and 0.90 ± 0.05 g/100 g, respectively. The total tocopherol content was 54.5 ± 0.5 mg/100 g oil, which consisted mainly of δ‐tocopherol (29.5 ± 0.6 mg/100 g oil) and γ‐tocopherol (13.8 ± 0.8 mg/100 g oil). Linoleic acid (L, 30.2 %), oleic acid (O, 22.2 %), and sterculic acid (S, 23.2 %) were the main unsaturated fatty acids of Phoenix tree seed oil. The saturated fatty acids included palmitic acid (17.4 %) and stearic acid (St, 2.9 %). The work shows the first report of sterculic acid in seeds of this species. This oil can be used as a raw material to produce sterculic acid.     

Variation in lipid composition of niger seed (Guizotia abyssinica Cass.) Samples collected from different regions in ethiopia

Niger seed samples were collected from different regions in Ethiopia for determination of oil content, and of fatty acid, tocopherol and sterol composition in the seed oil by gas-liquid chromatography and high-performance liquid chromatography methods. There was a large variation in oil content, ranging from 29 to 39%. More than 70% of the fatty acids was linoleic acid (18∶2) in all samples analyzed. The other predominant fatty acids were palmitic (16∶0), stearic (18∶0) and oleic (19∶1) at a range of 6 to 11% each. Total polar lipids recovered after preparative thin-layer chromatography comprised a small fraction of the total lipids. They had higher 16∶0 and lower 18∶2 contents than the triacylglycerols.α-Tocopherol was the predominant tocopherol in all samples, 94–96% of the total amounting to 630–800 μg/g oil. More than 40% of the total sterols wasβ-sitosterol,ca. 2000μg/g oil. The other major sterols were campesterol and stigmasterol, ranging from 11 to 14%. The Δ5- and Δ7-avenasterols were in the range of 4 to 7%. From the samples studied, no conclusion could be drawn regarding the influence of altitude or location on oil content, tocopherol and/or sterol contents. The results of the present study on niger seed oil are discussed in comparison with known data for common oils from Compositae,viz, safflower and sunflower.