THE COMPONENT ACIDS OF REFINED KARANJA OIL. (PONGAMIA GLABRA, VENT)

Abstract

The component fatty acids of karanja oil (Pongamia glabra, Vent), freed of the non-fatty constituents and subsequently refined, deodorised and bleached after the processes evolved in the National Chemical Laboratory, have been analysed making use of low temperature crystallisation and spectrophotometric analytical methods. The fatty acid composition (percentage) of the purified and refined oil is: myristic, 1.6: palmitic, 7.9: stearic, 3.7: arachidic, 2.5; behenic, 4.2; lignoceric, 1.1; oleic, 62.1: linoleic, 11.9 and linolenic, 5.0. Dihydroxystearic acid, reported by earlier workers to be present in the oil, has not been found during the present stuidies.