Chemical examination of the oil from the seed of Stereospermum suaveolens

Abstract

S. suaveolens is commonly planted in India and is widely used as an antidote in snake bite. The seeds, by extn. with petroleum ether, yielded 5% of a nondrying, dark green oil. The percentage compn. of the acids present in the oil was: oleic 46.74, linoleic 13.59, linolenic 0.92, arachidic 10.13, stearic 10.54, palmitic 7.73, and myristic 10.23%. The unsaponifiable matter which accounted for 1.15% of the oil consists of a phytosterol which was identified as β-sitosterol