The component fatty acids and glycerides of tung oil

Abstract

AbstractThe component acids and glycerides of several specimens of tung oils have been investigated. Oils of both Aleurites Fordii and A. montana species were included and one oil from authentic A. montana nuts contained as high (78%) a proportion of elaeostearic acid as that usually associated with A. Fordii oils, although a Nyasaland oil of the A. montana type contained only 72% of elaeostearic acid in its total acids. The proportion of elaeostearic acid in the mixed acids of the oils examined varied between 72% and 82%, but it is considered that these differences are more likely to be due to environmental than to genetic influences.The oil of lowest (72%) elaeostearic acid content contained 23% of trielaeostearin, 67% of dielaeostearic and 10% of monoelaeostearic glycerides, whereas that of the highest (82%) elaeostearic acid content contained 56% of trielaeostearin, 40% of dielaeostearic and 4% of monoelaeostearic glycerides: the difference in constituent glycerides is especially pronounced at this particular range of elaeostearic acid content, owing to the normal effect of the ‘rule of even distribution’.The validity of heat‐gelation tests for adulteration of tung oils is critically discussed.