IN SEARCH OF A NEW VEGETABLE OIL

Abstract

Terminalia bellirica Roxb., commonly known as Bahera in India and commercially as belliric myrobalan, may become the olive of the East and is a fairly abundant plant in the tropical Indian subcontinent. The raw flesh of the fruit can be converted to fodder. The seed oil content (about 47% by weight of dry kernel) appears very promising as a vegetable oil for edible purpose and can be hydrogenated or used for soap production.