STUDIES OF THE OIL OF MIMUSOPS-ELENGI SEED

Abstract

Extraction of Mimusops elengi seed kernels yielded 22.4% oil. The crude oil was refined with alcohol-alkali solution and bleached with activated earth and carbon. The fatty acid composition (wt%) of the refined seed oil was: palmitic 10.7, stearic 10.2, behenic 0.5, oleic 64.1 and linoleic 14.5, acid %, respectively. Nutritional evaluation of the refined seed oil was carried out in rats by feeding the seed oil and groundnut oil as control at 10% level in a 10% protein diet for 4 weeks. Nutritional quality of the refined seed oil as judged by growth performance, digestibility, feed efficiency ratio, serum lipid chemistry and histopathological findings was satisfactory and well comparable to that of groundnut oil.