CHARACTERISTICS AND COMPOSITION OF SOME CONVOLVULACEAE AND LEGUMINOSAE SEEDS AND THE OILS

Abstract

The seeds of Quamoclit coccinea, Ipomaea horsfalliae, Argyria aggregata, Merremia pentaphylla (Convolvulaceae), Indigofera hirsuta, Dalbergia melanoxylon and Bauhinia vahlii (Leguminosae) as well as the oils extracted therefrom were analysed for physico-chemical characteristics and composition. The oil content was appreciable in Q. coccinea (22.6%), I. horsfalliae (19.8%), A. aggregata (13.5%) and D. melanoxylon (13.8%) seeds. The protein content was high (21.8–26.9%) in all except in M. pentaphylla and B. vahlii seeds. The iodine values ranged from 87.6 to 132.8. The content of unsaponifiable matter was low in all the oils. The predominant fatty acid was linoleic (34.3–59.7%), the other major acids being palmitic (14.4–23.8%) and oleic (6.5–22.1%). Significant quantities of stearic and longerchain saturated acids were also present.