Unsaponifiable lipid constituents of ten indian seed oils

The unsaponifiable lipid constituents, hydrocarbons, triterpene alcohols and sterols of ten seed oils (Catharanthus roseus, Nymphaea nelumbo, Casuari‐na equisetifolia, Lagerstroemia therolli, Prosopisjuliflora, Mimusops elengi, Mimusops hexandra, Ponga‐miapinnata, Acrocarpus fraxinifolius, and Bauhinia retusa) were investigated by gas liquid chromatography. Total unsaponifiables ran from 4–14%. Some of the seed oils contained large quantities of jβ‐amyrin, α‐amyrin and cycloartenol. Acrocarpus fraxinifolius was found to contain 84% of lupeol. Stigmasterol (24‐ethyl‐22ε‐dehydrocholesterol), β‐sitosterol (24‐ethyl‐cholesterol) and campesterol (24‐methyl‐cholesterol) were the common constituents in all the seed oils. Besides these constituents, tirucallol, taraxerol, ψ‐taraxasterol, fucosterol, isofucosterol, avenasterol and cholesterol also were detected in small quantities.