Analytical Studies on the Composition of the Oil and Protein in the Seed of Thornless Chinese Pepper Zanthoxylum schinifoilum var. inermis Nakai

Abstract

In order to analyze the composition of fatty acid in the seed oil. and amino acid in the seed protein of wild thornless chinese pepper tree; Zanthoxylum schinifolum var. inermis Nakai, GLC method and amino acid autoanalyzer were applied, respectively, while the general composition of the seed and physico-chemical properties of the seed oil were also determined by . A. 0. A. C. method. The results obtained were summarized as follow The content of oil. protein and ashes were 47. 05%, 20.14% and 3.1%, respectively. The content of sulfur and cyan compound in the seed were 0. 02% and 0. 00005 %, respectively, which were far below than allowed guantity by food regulation. Therefore, it is considered to be safe for edible purpose. The iodine absorption number obtained was 145. 2, which might be belonged to drying oil. The physico-chemical properties of the seed oil such as acid value, saponification n.umber and refractive index showed the characteristics of an unsaturated high molecular fatty acid compound. The seed oil was composed of 34. 8% of oleic acid, 25. 1 % of linoleic acid, and 26. 1 % of linolenic acid, which accounts for more than 80% of essential fatty acid. Therefore, it could be used as an edible oil. Seventeen kinds of amino acids were anayzed from seed protein. Among them comparatively high content of threonine, valine, methionine, isoleucine, leucine and phenylalanine were observed. As a non-essential amino acid, glutamic acid was found as high as 4.985%. From these results the seed of thornless Chinese pepper would be good for oil and protein source.