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Physicochemical and Antioxidant

Characteristics of Kapok (Ceiba pentandra
Gaertn.) Seed Oil
ARTICLE in JOURNAL OF OIL & FAT INDUSTRIES MARCH 2014
Impact Factor: 1.54 DOI: 10.1007/s11746-014-2445-y

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J Am Oil Chem Soc (2014) 91:10471054

DOI 10.1007/s11746-014-2445-y

ORIGINAL PAPER

Physicochemical and Antioxidant Characteristics of Kapok (Ceiba

pentandra Gaertn.) Seed Oil
Farooq Anwar Umer Rashid Shaukat Ali Shahid
Muhammad Nadeem

Received: 28 August 2013 / Revised: 22 February 2014 / Accepted: 28 February 2014 / Published online: 14 March 2014
AOCS 2014

Abstract In view of the growing demand for vegetable

oils and fats, currently exploration of some under-utilized
and non-conventional oil seed crops is of great concern.
This work presents data on the detailed physicochemical
and antioxidant attributes of kapok (Ceiba pentandra Gaertn.) seed oil. The kapok seeds contained an appreciable
amount of oil (27.5 %), protein (35.0 %) and fiber
(19.0 %). The extracted kapok seed oil (KSO) had an
iodine value of 101.8 g of I2/100 g of oil, a saponification
value of 187 mg of KOH/g of oil), and unsaponifiable
matter 0.83 %. KSO also showed a good oxidation state as
indicated by the measurements of the peroxide value,
conjugated dienes, conjugated trienes, para-anisidine and
the induction period (Rancimat method). The tested oil
showed a considerable amount of total phenolics (2.50 mg/
100 g) and an appreciable free radical scavenging capacity.
Gas liquid chromatographic analysis of fatty acids (FA)
reveals that KSO mainly has linoleic acid (33.6 %) followed by oleic acid (23.4 %) and palmitic acid (22.4 %).
Besides, a notable amount of cyclopropenoid fatty acids

F. Anwar (&)
Department of Chemistry, University of Sargodha,
Sargodha 40100, Pakistan
e-mail: fqanwar@yahoo.com
U. Rashid
Institute of Advanced Technology, Universiti Putra Malaysia,
43400 UPM Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia
S. A. Shahid
Department of Physics, University of Agriculture,
Faisalabad 38040, Pakistan
M. Nadeem
Subsurface Technology Division, Petronas Research Sdn Bhd.
(PRSB), 43300 Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia

such as malvalic acid (9.1 %) and sterculic acid (2.8 %)

was also detected. The FA composition of the tested oil
was further verified by recording FTIR and NMR spectra.
Among the oil phytosterols, analyzed by GC/GCMS, bsitosterol was found to be the principal component whereas
RP-HPLC analysis showed the occurrence of c-tocopherol
(550 mg/kg) as the major tocopherol along with considerable amount of a-tocopherol (91 mg/kg) and d-tocopherol
(5.52 mg/kg). It can be concluded from the results of this
comprehensive study that under-utilized kapok seeds are a
potential feed stock for the production of a useful oil for
edible and/or oleochemical applications.
Keywords Kapok oil
Physicochemical attributes

Induction period
Linoleic acid
FTIR
HPLC
NMR

Phenolics
Phytosterols
Tocopherols

Introduction
The uses of vegetable oils and fats are widely expanding
for several food and non-food (oleochemicals) applications. As a result, the demand for vegetable oils is globally
increasing with the current worlds requirement estimated
to be as high as 143 million tons per annum. There are
many conventional and non-conventional vegetable oil
sources in use but due to growing demand that need still
exists for exploring more and under-utilized oil resources
[1, 2].
Extensive work has been carried out in recent years on
the investigation of physicochemical and nutritional attributes of vegetable oils produced from some newer and
under-utilized resources so as to ascertain their specific
oleo-chemical and/or food applications. For example,
Cerchiara et al. [3] evaluated potential uses of Spanish

123

1048

Broom (Spartium junceum L.) seed oil by analyzing its

physico-chemical properties. Nehdi [4], investigated the
nutritional characteristics of Washingtonia filifera (Linden
ex Andre) H. Wendl. seed and seed oil. Physico-chemical
characterization of apricot (Prunus armeniaca L.) seed oils
revealed the tested oils to be good for edible uses [5]. In
another study by Anwar et al. [6], the citrus fruit seed oils
were characterized for physicochemical properties and the
profile of tocopherols and fatty acids, using spectroscopic
and chromatographic methods, and they were found to be
potentially suitable for edible uses. Similarly, Parry et al.
[7] investigated the fatty acids profile and antioxidant
properties of cold-pressed berries fruit seed oils to assess
their suitability as potential candidates for edible commercial applications.
Kapok (Ceiba pentandra Gaertn.), a plant from the
family Bombacaceae, and a native of tropical America and
West Africa, is now widely distributed in several Asian
regions such as Western India, Pakistan, Malaysia, Vietnam, Indonesia, and Philippines [8, 9]. The commercial
tree species is mostly cultivated in the rainforests of Asia,
especially in Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, China and
South America [8, 9]. Though kapok is the mostly used
name, the tree is also known by several other names in
different regions, for example, kabu (Javanese), white-silk
cotton (Latin America), and nun (Siamese) [10, 11].
Malaysian kapok, locally known as kekabu, is usually
found in northern parts of Peninsular Malaysia. This tropical tree is famous among Malay, especially in rural areas
[11]. Some ethno-medicinal uses of this tree have also been
reported in the literature, for example, the bark decoction
has been used as an aphrodisiac, diuretic, and to treat
headaches as well as type II diabetes [12].
Kapok fruits (pods) are capsule shaped and contain
seeds surrounded by a fluffy, yellowish fiber made up of a
mixture of lignin and cellulose. Kapok fruit-derived fiber
has been used for centuries to stuff pillows, life jackets, and
cushions [9]. Kapok seeds, brownish black in color, which
are imbedded in masses of lint, occupy about 2528 % (wt/
wt) of each fruit. These seeds, although usually being
discarded as agro-waste, have an appreciable amount of oil,
ranging between 20 and 25 %. According to some preliminary reports the basic properties of kapok seed oil
(KSO) are quite comparable with cottonseed oil [1215],
however, these studies did not evaluate detailed physicochemical and nutritional attributes of KSO using modern
spectroscopic and chromatographic techniques. Therefore,
this comprehensive study was undertaken with the main
objective of characterizing KSO for the quality-oriented
physico-chemical parameters as well as for the important
nutritional and bioactive components such as fatty acids,
tocopherols, phenolics, and phytosterols using state-of-the
art chromatographic and spectroscopic techniques. No such

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J Am Oil Chem Soc (2014) 91:10471054

a comprehensive study has been previously reported in the

literature on this potential seed oil crop.

Materials and Methods

Procurement of Seeds, Reagents/Standards
Fully matured kapok pods/fruits were obtained through
local agricultural resources in Kuala Kangsar, Perak,
Malaysia. Three different fruit seed samples (derived from
three different localities), using random sampling design,
were harvested from the vicinity of Kuala Kangsar town
located in the downstream part of Kangsar River, Perak.
The seeds were manually separated from the pods.
All the chemicals and reagents used in this work were
from Merck (Darmstadt, Germany) or Sigma Aldrich
(Buchs, Switzerland). FolinCiocalteus phenol regent
(2 N) and standard of 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl
(DPPH) free radicals were from Merck (Darmstadt, Germany). Pure standards of tocopherols, phytosterols, and
fatty acid methyl esters (FAME) and Gallic acid used in the
present experiments were obtained from Sigma Chemical
Co. (St. Louis, MO).
Kapok Seed Oil Extraction
The seeds were crushed using a coffee grinder; the material
that passed through a 100-mesh sieve used for extraction
purposes. The ground material was extracted with n-hexane
for 6 h to yield oil using a Soxholet apparatus operated on a
heating mantle. The crude oil was recovered after distilling-off the excess solvent (hexane) under a vacuum using a
rotary evaporator.
Analysis of Oilseed Residues for Protein, Fiber and Ash
The seed oil residues, produced after oil removal, were
tested for fiber, protein, and ash contents. The amount of
protein (N 9 6.25) was calculated according to method of
Association of Official Analytical Chemists method 954.01
[16] using a Kjeldahl apparatus. The content of fiber was
estimated by ISO method 5983 [17] while that of ash by
ISO method 749 [18].
Physical and Chemical Parameters of Oil
The physicochemical traits including those of density, refractive index (RI), iodine value (IV), saponification number (SN),
peroxides value, acidity, and unsaponifiable matter (UM) of
the subject oil were measured according to AOCS official
methods [19]. The color of the oil was tested by a Tintometer
(Lovibond, UK), in a 1-in. cell. The magnitude of conjugated

J Am Oil Chem Soc (2014) 91:10471054

dienes and conjugated trienes, in terms of specific extinction as

e11 %
cm (k) at 232 and 270 nm, respectively, of the test oil were
assessed following an IUPAC method II D.23 [20]. For this
measurement, the absorbance, of the oil sample dissolved in
iso-octane, was taken at 232 and 270 nm using a spectrophotometer. The induction period (IP), a good indicator of oxidative stability and shelf-life of lipids, was determined using a
Model 743 Metrohm Rancimat, operated automatically.
Briefly, test portions of oil (2.5 g) in duplicate, were placed in
glass reaction vessels and analyzed at 120 C while in an air
flow rate of 20 L/h. The IP were automatically recorded by the
Rancimat machine corresponding to the break point of the
plotted curves [21].

1049

Wrolstad [23] and analyzed using an HPLC machine. For

separation purposes, about twenty microliters of the prepared sample was injected into a Supelcosil LC Si column
(250 9 4.6 mm). A mobile phase solvent, containing a
mixture of hexane/ethyl acetate/acetic acid (98:1:1, v/v/v),
was employed for elution purposes (flow rate 1.5 mL/min).
Tocopherols were detected at wavelength of 295 nm and
identified based upon comparison of their retention times
with those of pure standards. Quantification was done
based upon an external standard method using a D-2500
Hitachi Chromatointegrator model with a built-in data
handling computer program.
Phytosterols of Oil

Gas Liquid Chromatographic Analysis of Oil Fatty

Acids
The oil samples were converted into FAME by solubilizing
the oil (50 lL) in 950 lL of n-hexane followed by
transesterification using sodium methoxide in Teflon-capped test tube [22]. The FAME produced were analyzed by a
Gas Chromatograph (Hewlett-Packard 6890) equipped
with a flame ionization detector and a fused silica capillary
BPX-70 column (60 m 9 0.32 mm; 0.25 lm film thickness). The initial column oven temperature was set at
115 C, raised to 180 C at 8 C/min, held for 10 min and
then raised to 240 C at 8 C/min, and finally held for
10 min. A 1-lL sample of FAME was injected into the
column using the split mode. Helium was used as the
carrier gas at a flow rate of 1.5 mL/min. The unknown
FAME were identified on the basis of the comparison of
their retention times with those of pure standards and were
quantified using data handling software and reported as
relative percentages of the total peak area.
Fourier Transform Infrared and Nuclear Magnetic
Resonance Spectroscopic Analysis of Oil
An Fourier transform infrared (FTIR)-ATR spectrum of
kapok oil was also recorded by taking a droplet of the
respective sample using an FTIR-ATR sample holder.
FTIR-ATR spectra were recorded by scanning (averaging
10 scans) between 350 and 6,000 cm-1 wavelength with
resolution adjusted at 2 cm-1. A background spectrum was
also recorded. The 1H- and 13C-nuclear magnetic resonance
(NMR) spectra of KSO were recorded on a Bruker (Billerica, MA) Avance 300 spectrometer operating at 300 MHz
(1H NMR) or 125 (13C NMR) with CDCl3 as solvent.
Tocopherols of Oil
For the analysis of tocopherol compounds (a, c, and d), the
oil samples were prepared as per the method described by

The phytosterols composition of the oil was studied following the method as described in one of our recent publications [24]. The oil was saponified with methanolic
KOH and the unsaponifiable materials extracted with diethyl ether. The sterol fractions were analyzed as silyl
(Sylon BTZ) derivatives using GCFID and further
authenticated by GCMS [24].
Total Phenolics and DPPH Free Radical Scavenging
Activity of Oil
For estimation of TP and DPPH free radical scavenging
activity, the extractable components from the oil were
recovered using aqueous methanol (80:20 v/v) [7] and then
analyzed for TP and DPPH free radical activity following
the method as described in one of our recent publications
[25].
Statistical Measurement
All the measurements were performed in triplicate and the
data were reported as means followed by the standard
deviations.

Results and Discussion

Proximate Composition of Seeds
The proximate analysis of kapok seeds as given in Table 1
reveals the oil content of the seeds to be 27.5 % (wet
basis). The oil yield determined in the present investigation
of kapok seeds is quite close to that given in the literature
for this species. According to Salimon and Kadir [15]
kapok seeds have about 25 % crude lipids based upon the
method of extraction. In agreement with the present data,
previously, Berry [14] reported the oil content in Malaysian
kapok seeds to be 28 %. The oil yield from kapok seeds,

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J Am Oil Chem Soc (2014) 91:10471054

Table 1 Proximate composition of kapok seeds

Table 3 Oxidation state of kapok seed oil

Constituents

Oil

27.5 0.5

Ash

8.2 0.9

Protein

35.0 0.5

Moisture
Fiber

4.1 0.5
19.0 0.7

Parameters

Value

Peroxide value (mequiv/kg of oil)

3.50 0.12

Para-anisidine value

4.12 0.15

Conjugated dienes

1.89 0.05

Conjugated trienes

0.86 0.10

Induction period (h)

4.10 0.10

Values are means SD of three different seed samples analyzed

independently in triplicate (n = 3 9 3)

Values are means SD of three different seed oil samples analyzed

independently in triplicate (n = 3 9 3)

Table 2 Some physical and chemical quality attributes of kapok seed

oil

Table 4 Tocopherols composition, total phenolics and DPPH radical

scavenging capacity of kapok seed oil

Quality attribute

Constituent

Free fatty acid (% as oleic acid)

Iodine value (g of I2/100 g of oil)

Value
0.80 0.10
101.7 2.0

Density (24 C, mg/mL)

0.91 0.02

Refractive index (40 C)

1.4660 0.002

Saponification value (mg of KOH/g of oil)

Unsaponifiable mater (%)

186.9 3.0
0.63 0.05

Value

a-tocopherol (mg/kg)

91.00 3.20

c-tocopherol (mg/kg)

550.0 15.6

d-tocopherol (mg/kg)

5.52 0.20

Total tocopherols (mg/kg)

Total phenolic contents (mg/100 g)
DPPH radical scavenging (IC50; mg/mL)

646.00 15.0
2.50 0.10
11.52 0.90

Values are means SD of three different seed oil samples analyzed

independently in triplicate (n = 3 9 3)

Values are means SD of three different seed oil samples analyzed

independently in triplicate (n = 3 9 3)

when compared with some common oil seed crops, is

higher than from cotton, soybean, and corn [26] and thus
provokes the need to explore the under-utilized seeds of
this species as a potential source of oil for commercial
applications.
Meanwhile, the kapok seed protein (35.0 %) and moisture (4.1 %) contents determined in the present study were
also in agreement to those reported in the literature for this
species [14]. In view of the proximate analysis data, it
seems that the oil seed residue from kapok seeds (after oil
removal) can be potentially used as a source of vegetable
protein in poultry and animals feed production, subject to
detoxification, if needed.

The IV, which is an indicator of the degree of unsaturation of an oil/lipid, for the tested oil is 101.7 (g of I2/100 g
of oil) indicating that the oil contains significant amounts of
unsaturated fatty acids. The values of RI (1.4660) at 40 C
and density (0.91 mg/mL) at 24 C, which elucidate some
purity related features of vegetable oils, of KSO, are quite
comparable to those investigated for most of the common
vegetable oils reported in the literature [27]. The saponification value and unsaponifiable contents were found to be
186.9 mg of KOH/g of oil and 0.63 %, respectively. SN,
which mainly depends upon the carbon chain length of the
oil fatty acids, predicts the potential of oil for soap making
while UM is representative of those minor components of
oil which could not be saponified with alkali under the
specified reaction conditions.

Physicochemical Composition of Kapok Seed Oil

Some important quality-related properties of KSO are
presented in Table 2. The content of free fatty acids (FFA),
which are mainly the product of chemical or enzymatic
(lipase) hydrolysis, was quite low (0.80 %) indicating that
the seeds were in a good state. Storage of seeds under
unfavorable conditions may lead to an increase in FFA of
the oil. Generally, the amount of FFA in most of the freshly
extracted crude vegetable oils, with few exceptions, is
below 1.0 %. The higher the amount of FFA is, the greater
is the possibility of economic loss of oil during the refining
process. In the oil industry, FFA are removed during a
process known as refining, wherein, these products are
neutralized using an alkaline (NaOH) solution [27].

123

Oxidation State of Oil

The results regarding the oxidation status of the tested oil
are depicted in Table 3. The peroxide value (an indicator of
products of primary oxidation) and para-anisidine value (an
indicator of aldehydic products of oxidation in oil) were
quite low: 3.50 mequiv/kg of oil and 4.12, respectively. The
levels of conjugated dienes and trienes were also low. This
indicates that oil is in good oxidation state and has been
extracted from healthy and good seeds (not damaged and/or
exposed to unfavorable conditions). Presence of these oxidation products in oil can be linked with the development of
rancid and off flavors/odors and loss of nutritive quality [27,

J Am Oil Chem Soc (2014) 91:10471054

1051

Fig. 1 GLC chromatogram

showing the separation of fatty
acids of kapok seed oil

28]. Similarly, the IP (a parameter that predicts the oxidative stability of oils and fats) of the tested oil, is quite high,
4.10 h. The IP was automatically recorded by a Rancimat
apparatus and corresponded to the break points of the
recorded curves. The greater the IP, the greater will be the
oxidative stability of the oil or fat [21].
Tocopherols Composition, TP and DPPH Radical
Scavenging Activity of Oil
Table 4 presents data regarding the tocopherol composition, TP contents and the DPPH radical scavenging
capacity of the oil analyzed. The oil mainly contained ctocopherol (550.0 mg/kg) along with a considerable
amount of a-tocopherol 91.0 mg/kg. A small amount of dtocopherol (5.5 mg/kg) was also detected. When compared
with some other vegetable oils, the total tocopherols content of KSO (646 mg/kg) was noted as being considerably
higher than coconut oil (tr-33) and noted to be within the
range of cotton seed oil (4101,169), groundnut oil
(176696), sunflower oil (447900) and low erucic acid
rapeseed oil (4241,054) while it is close to that of palm oil
(average 630, range 981,327) [27]. The occurrence of ctocopherol as a principal component in the tested KSO is in
line with those of some common seed oils such as cotton
(158594), soybean (4092,397), maize (2682,468), low
erucic acid rapeseed (278753) and groundnut (99389)
oils which also contain this compound as the major
tocopherol among others [27].
Tocopherols are regarded as one of the most valuable
minor components present in vegetable oil because of their
antioxidant activity. These compounds are naturally present in vegetable seeds and are extracted along with the oils,
however, their concentration may be reduced during processes such as refining, bleaching and deodorization of oils
[28]. a-Tocopherol has mainly vitamin E activity while

Table 5 Fatty acid composition of kapok seed oil

Fatty acid

Retention time (min)

g/100 g of fatty acid

Palmitic acid

5.89

22.37 0.50

Stearic acid

8.00

3.80 0.12

Malvalic acid

8.13

9.14 0.10

Oleic acid

8.44

23.24 0.41

Linoleic acid

9.23

33.63 0.50

Sterculic acid

9.65

2.58 0.15

Behenic acid

12.96

0.46 0.05

Values are means SD of three different seed oil samples analyzed

independently in triplicate (n = 3 9 3)

that of the d-component has potent antioxidant efficacy.

The composition of tocopherols, except, the d-isomer, in
the present analysis of KSO, is quite comparable with that
reported by Pusod et al. [29] for this species.
The contribution of TP at level of 2.50 mg/100 g and a
DPPH free radical scavenging capacity of 11.52 (IC50) was
found in the tested kapok oil (Table 4). These antioxidant
activity-related data are not only in agreement with a recent
report on this oil [29], but also the present level of TP is in
line with some other oils such as sesame oil [25] and
Moringa oleifera seed oil [30]. Recently, in view of the
functional food benefits of oils, assessment of phenolics
and antioxidant activity of vegetable oils is gaining recognition with regard to understanding their nutritional
value [7, 25, 30].
FA Composition of Oil
The data regarding the fatty acid composition of the tested
oil analyzed by GLC (Fig 1) are given in Table 5. This
analysis reveals the presence of mainly C18:2 (33.6 %)
followed by C18:1 (23.2 %) and C16:0 (22.4 %). In

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J Am Oil Chem Soc (2014) 91:10471054

Fig. 2 FTIR spectrum of kapok

seed oil

99.5
95
90
1377.65

85
1464.41

722.08

80

%T
75
70
2853.85

1160.33

65
2923.09

60
58.3
4000.0

3600

3200

1743.94

2800

2400

2000

1800

1600

1400

1200

1000

800

650.0

cm-1

addition, a considerable amount of cyclopropenoid fatty

acids including malvalic acid (9.14 %) and sterculic acid
(2.50 %), which are characteristics of the oils of this species, was also detected. The presence of the cyclic fatty
acids in KSO is questionable from the view-point of
nutritionists due to their side effects and thus advocates the
deactivation of such compounds via hydrogenation and
deodorization before utilization as dietary ingredients for
human consumption [14, 15]. The present concentration of
major fatty acids of the kapok oil is in accord with the
literature reports on this oil [14, 15].
A FTIR spectrum of KSO is depicted in Fig. 2. The
spectrum shows the typical features of absorption bands
corresponding to common triglyceride molecules. The
asymmetrical and symmetrical stretching vibration of
methylene (CH2) show significant absorption at 2,923 and
2,853 cm-1, respectively. Another noticeable peak (C=O
stretch) at 1,743 cm-1 can be related to the absorption due
to the ester carbonyl functional group of the triglycerides
present. At 1,454 and 1,377 cm-1 is depicted the bending
vibrations of the CH2 and CH3 aliphatic group and bending
vibration of CH2 group, respectively. Peaks around
1,160 cm-1 may be linked to the CO stretching, while
peaks around 722 cm-1 may be due to the overlapping of
the methylene (CH2) rocking vibration and to the out of
plane vibration of cis-disubstituted olefins.
1
H-NMR and 13C-NMR spectra of KSO are recorded
and presented as Fig. 3a, b, respectively. In case of 1HNMR spectrum, the signal at d 5.25.4 corresponds to total
olefinic protons (CH=CH) of unsaturated fatty acids. The
peak area from d 4.14.3 indicates the occurrence of four
protons of the glycerol backbone of the oil, the signal
almost at d 2.3 is due to the protons on the second carbon in
the fatty acid chain, the signal near to d 2.0 is due to the
allylic methylene protons of all unsaturated fatty acids, the

123

Fig. 3 a 1H-NMR spectrum of kapok seed oil, b 13C-NMR spectrum

of kapok seed oil

J Am Oil Chem Soc (2014) 91:10471054

1053

Table 6 Sterols composition of kapok seed oil

Sterol

g/100 g of sterols

Stigmasterol

2.00 0.22

Cholesterol

1.50 0.10

Campesterol

9.92 0.71

b-Sitosterol

75.00 1.28

d-7-stigmastenol

1.50 0.10

d-7-avenasterol

2.81 0.10

d-5-avenasterol

3.76 0.35

Othersa

2.00 0.15

Values are means SD of three different seed oil samples analyzed

independently in triplicate (n = 3 9 3)
a

Some unidentified phytosterol components

peak at d 1.6 is due to methylene protons, whereas the

signal at d 0.8 indicates the terminal methyl proton peak.
In case of the 13C-NMR spectrum, the signal at
*14 ppm is related to the terminal methyl carbon, the
signal at *22.5 ppm represents the second carbon from the
terminal carbon, the signal around 2830 ppm is for the
general carbons on the triglyceride backbone except
unsaturated ones and adjacent to the carbonyl carbons (if
the carbonyl carbon is no.1, i.e., C1, then the signal at C3
*2534 ppm = C2, *63 ppm is due to carbons on
glycerol with CH2 (not the middle one which is CH and it
appears at 70 ppm), the signals at 129 and 130 ppm represent carbons with double bonds while the signal around
3 ppm is due to the carbonyl group carbon, i.e., C1.
Phytosterols Composition of Oil
The composition of phytosterols of the KSO analyzed in
the present study is given in Table 6. This profile shows
that the oil tested has b-sitosterol (75 %) as the principal
component among others. In addition, some other important phytosterols such as campesterol (9.92 %), stigmasterol (2.0 %), d-7-avenasterol (2.81 %) and d-5-avenasterol
(3.7 %) have also been detected. The presence of b-sitosterol as principal component in KSO is in line to those of
several common vegetable oils which also contain this
component as the major phytosterol [27]. Phytosterols are
one of the important non-glyceridic minor components in
vegetable oils that play beneficial role in reducing
absorption of cholesterol and the amount of negative
lipoproteins in human blood and thus can potentially
reduce the incidence of cardiovascular diseases [24].

Conclusions
In this study KSO was extracted from the locally harvested
seeds and analyzed for detailed physico-chemical and

nutritional attributes using state-of-the art spectroscopic

and chromatographic as well as other wet chemical analyses. The tested oil mainly has unsaturated fatty acids
namely C18:2 (linoleic acid) and C18:1 (oleic acid) with
potential health benefits. On the other hand, due to the
occurrence of considerable amount of cyclic fatty acids the
oils can also be potentially explored for oleo-chemicals
applications. The oil has also shown good oxidation state
which might have been attributed to the presence of
appreciable amount of tocopherols and phenolics with
antioxidant activity. The oil phytosterols composition is
also valuable in terms of their positive correlation with
health. The present data advocate the potential use of this
oil as a feed stock for the edible and/or oleochemical
industries.

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