Analysis of oil and meal from Lesquerella fendleri seed

Abstract

Attention is being focused on Lesquerella species as a source of hydroxy acids to replace imported castor oil. Genetic and agronomic improvement and utilization of the seed oil and meal are being studies. We have conducted laboratory experiments to extract oil from L. fendleri seed in preparation for extracting large quantities of seed. L. fendleri is a member of the Cruciferae family, and when seeds are crushed glucosinolates release isothiocyanates by the action of a thioglucosidase enzyme system. Therefore, our experiments included moist heat treatment of whole seeds to inactivate this enzyme. The seed was then flaked in a Wolf mill, and the flakes were exhaustively extracted with hexane. The oil was degummed and bleached, and then analyzed for hydroxyl (103), saponification (174), and iodine values (107), and for unsaponifiables (1.5%), FFA (1.13%) and P (10 ppm) contents. Hydroxy fatty acids, 55% lesquerolic (14-hydroxy-cis-11-eicosenoic) and 3% auricolic (14-hydroxy-cis-11, cis-17-eicosadienoic), and total fatty acid distribution were determined by gas chromatography of the methyl esters. The defatted meal was analyzed for residual oil (1%), protein (29.8%), non-protein nitrogen (0.7%), ash (6.45%). crude fiber (12.9%), and for distribution of amino acids. Defatted L. fendleri meal has an excellent distribution of amino acids, including favorable levels of lysine, methionine and threonine compared with soybean meal. © 1990 American Oil Chemists' Society.