Fatty acid composition of three Leguminosae seed oils

Abstract

The powdered seeds of 3 species were extracted with light petroleum, and the chemical characteristics of the resulting oils analysed. Seeds of Indigofera glabra, Caesalpinia coriaria and Acacia sundra yielded respectively 16.6, 9.1 and 6.6% oil containing 10.9, 4.9 and 2.8% by weight of cyclopropenoid fatty acids. Cyclopropenoid fatty acids are of interest for their biological activity in animals and their co-carcinogenic properties. The major components of I. glabra saturated fatty acids were palmitic acid (20.2%), and of unsaturated fatty acids oleic (26.8%) and linoleic (37.1%) acids. The major components of C. coriaria saturated fatty acids were myristic (28.1%), palmitic (18.0%) and stearic (12.9%) acids, and of unsaturated fatty acids linoleic acid (31.3%). The major components of A. sundra saturated fatty acids were palmitic acid (23.6%) and of unsaturated fatty acids oleic (27.5%) and linoleic (43.7%) acids.