Properties of the seed oil of a dwarf cultivar of the pharmaceutical silymarin producing plant Silybum marianum (L.) Gaertn. developed in India

Abstract

Seeds of Silybum marianum cv SMB-5, an Indian cultivar of dwarf habit and high seed yield, were characterized for their oil content and was examined for its physico-biochemical properties. The seed oil content was low at 20±2 %. The oil had acid value of 1.5, specific gravity at 27 ⁰C was 0.885, saponification value as 199 and iodine value equal to 97. The main fatty acid composition was: palmitic acid, 9.6 %; stearic acid, 4.7 %; oleic acid, 3.9 %; linoleic acid, 45.8 % and linolenic acid, 5.3 %. The properties of the oil of Indian genotype largely correspond with those of S. marianum oil of Canadian, Greek, Egytian, Iraqi, Iranian and Pakistani genotypes. In comparison to the commercial oils of soybean, Indian mustard, canola, groundnut, sunflower, safflower and flex, the fatty acid compositional properties of S. marianum oil were found to be unique being rich in linoleic acid.