Chemical Examination of Wild Plant Seed Oils from Arid Land of Rajasthan

Adam Devra, Akleshwar Mathur, R. S. Sindal and M. R. K. Sherwani

Department of Chemistry, J.N.V. University, Jodhpur-342 005 (India)

This paper describes the analyses and the fatty acids composition of eight seed oils collected from wild plants from arid land of Rajasthan. It includes Acacia leucopholea, Cassia absus, Cassia occidentalis, Delonix regia, (Leguminosae), Balanites roxburghi (Balantaceae), Jatropha curcas (Euphorbiaceae), Withania somnifera (Solanaceae) and Melia azadircta (Meliaceae). All the seeds were collected from arid zone of Rajasthan and studied for their component fatty acids and physico-chemical characteristics using U.V., I.R., T.L.C. and GLC techniques. Unsaturated fatty acids were found in good amount. Oleic and linolic acids were found as major unsaturated fatty acids except in W. somnifera which contain linolenic acid in major amount.

Phytochemistry; Fatty acid composition