Fatty acid composition of 20 lesser-known Western Australian seed oils

Abstract

The fatty acid composition of the seed oils of Compositae (eight species), Proteaceae (four species), Begoniaceae (one), Boraginaceae (one), Euphorbiaceae (one), Liliaceae (one), Meliaceae (one), Rhamnaceae (one), Sapindaceae (one) and Stylidaceae (one) were qualitatively and quantitatively determined by a combination of thin layer chromatography and gas liquid chromatography. The seeds contained oil in the range 1.6-37.7% (on a dry basis). Unusual fatty acids were not found. The major fatty acids were oleic and linoleic in all the species of seed oils except one (Phyllanthus calycinus) in which linolenic acid was the major component.