Seed oil content and fatty acid composition of the seed-oil was determined from T. populnea (L.) Sol. Ex. Corr. plants growing in saline soils (ECe : 1.56-43.9 dS.m-1 ). The seed oil content varied from 18.2 to 21.77% (mean: 19.81 ± 0.36%). Against the variation of salinity by 68.4%, the seed oil content varied merely by 4.83%. Twelve fatty acids were identified in T. populnea seed oil. Linoleic (37.27 ± 0.46 %), Palmitic (31.96 ± 0.24 %), and Oleic acid (17.73 ± 0.40%) were the major fatty acids. Over the ECe range of 1.56 to 43.03 dS.m-1 , the variation in fatty acid composition of seed oil was too small to make any significant difference in the oil quality as was evident from the compositional similarity of c 97% on an average amongst the oil samples extracted from the seeds of various trees. Saturated fatty acids content was 36.4% and unsaturated fatty acid content 63.6%. Oleic / linoleic acid ratio was oleic / linoleic acid ratio in sunflower with increase in salinity. No such increase in oleic / Linoleic acid ratio in T. populnea seeds didn’t increase with salinity and remained almost constant - around 0.48. The saponification value of the oil was 204.
Zahida N. Gohar, Razia Sultana, D. Khan, Rafiq Ahmad. (2011) SEED-OIL CONTENT AND FATTY ACID COMPOSITION OF SEED-OIL OF THESPESIA POPULNEA (L.) SOL. EX. CORR. GROWING IN SALINE SOILS IN KARACHI, , Volume 08, Issue 2.
