Characterization of oils from low‐gland and glandless cottonseed

Abstract

AbstractNew varieties of cotton which contain few or no gossypol pigment glands are being developed. Commercial production of such varieties should contribute to improving meal quality and reducing the color problems encountered with cottonseed oil. Samples of gland‐containing, low‐gland, and glandless seed grown in California were obtained, and the oils were extracted and characterized.With regard to the over‐all characteristics the oils from the low‐gland and glandless seed were indistinguishable from regular cottonseed oil. Iodine values, contents of unsaponifiables, cloud‐ and pour‐points, response to the Halphen test, and similar characteristics resembled those of commercial cottonseed oil. No differences were found in behavior during winterization.Determination of the component fatty acids by gas chromatography showed the fatty acid composition of the oils to be typical. Determination of the positions of the double bonds in the unsaturated acyl groups showed no differences between the oils from gland‐containing, low‐gland, and glandless seed. Ultraviolet, visible, and infrared spectra of the oils revealed no differences other than the presence of gossypol in the crude oil from the gland‐containing seed. The infrared spectra of the unsaponifiable fractions obtained from the oils showed some differences, which were not believed to be important.