A minor source of vernolic, malvalic, and sterculic acids in Pithecollobium dulce (syn. Inga dulcis) seed oil

Abstract

Pithecollobium dulce, Benth (syn. Inga dulcis, Willd) seed oil, belonging to the Leguminosae plant family, contains minor amounts of vernolic acid (12,13-epoxy-octadec- cis-9-enoic acid, 10.0%), malvalic acid [7-(2-octacyclopropen-1-yl)heptanoic acid, 3.2%], and sterculic acid [8-(2-octacyclopropen-1-yl)octanoic acid, 2.0%]. The other normal fatty acids are palmitic (12.1%), stearic (4.2%), behenic (10.6%), oleic (34.1%), and linoleic (23.8%). These fatty acids have been characterized by Fourier transform infrared,1H nuclear magnetic resonance, mass spectrometry and gas-liquid chromatography techniques and by chemical degradations. © 1995, American Oil Chemists’ Society. All rights reserved.