Bauhinia roxburghiana Voigt and Aphanamixis polystachya (Wall.) Parker: Potential Non-Edible Oil Resources for Future Energy

Abstract

The present study describes the preliminary work of seeds of Bauhinia roxburghiana Voigt (BR) (Synonym-Bauhinia semla Wundrlin and Bauhinia retusa Roxb.) belongs to family Caesalpiniaceae and Aphanamixis polystachya (Wall.) Parker (AP) belongs to family Meliaceae. Seeds of both species were studied for physico-chemical properties such as- oil content, ash content, moisture content, acid value, saponification value, iodine value, specific gravity, refractive index, free fatty acids, mean molecular mass by standard methods and fatty acid by gas chromatography. Oil was extracted with petroleum ether (60-80 º C) in a Soxhlet apparatus. Total protein in seed and nitrogen content was carried out with Kjeldhals method. The results were compared with some common vegetable oils to search as a potential source in seeds of two species for future energy.