Kusum oil is a type of oil extracted from the seed of the Kusum tree (''

Schleichera oleosa ''Schleichera'' is a monotypic genus of plants in the soapberry family, Sapindaceae. There is only one species, ''Schleichera oleosa'', a tree that occurs in the Indian Subcontinent and Southeast Asia. Species ''Schleichera oleosa'', kusum tr ...

''). The plant, which is also commonly known as Ceylon oak, lac tree, or

Macassar oil Macassar oil is a compounded oil that was used primarily by Western European men throughout the 1800s and early 1900s as a hair conditioner to groom and style the hair. It was popularised by Alexander Rowland (1747–1823), a celebrated London ba ...

tree, belongs to the family Sapindaceae. The sapindaceae family is named after J. C. Schleicher, a Swiss botanist, and the species name means "oily" or "rich in oil." The tree is native to

South Asia South Asia is the southern subregion of Asia, which is defined in both geographical Geography (from Greek: , ''geographia''. Combination of Greek words ‘Geo’ (The Earth) and ‘Graphien’ (to describe), literally "earth descr ...

, but is also found in some parts of

Southeast Asia Southeast Asia, also spelled South East Asia and South-East Asia, and also known as Southeastern Asia, South-eastern Asia or SEA, is the geographical south-eastern region of Asia, consisting of the regions that are situated south of mainlan ...

Collection of seeds

The bunches of fruit are plucked by climbing the ''

'' trees. The fruit pulp is removed by rubbing the fruits in water, and letting them dry.

Oil

The oil contains

oleic acid Oleic acid is a fatty acid that occurs naturally in various animal and vegetable fats and oils. It is an odorless, colorless oil, although commercial samples may be yellowish. In chemical terms, oleic acid is classified as a monounsaturated omeg ...

(2-3%), stearic acid (2-6%),

gadoleic acid Gadoleic acid (20:1 n−11) is an unsaturated fatty acid. It is a prominent component of some fish oils including cod liver oil. It is one of a number of eicosenoic acids. Its name is derived from a combination of the genus for cod (''Gadus'') a ...

, and

arachidic acid Arachidic acid, also known as icosanoic acid, is a saturated fatty acid with a 20-carbon chain. It is a minor constituent of cupuaçu butter (7%), perilla oil (0–1%), peanut oil (1.1–1.7%), corn oil (3%),U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricul ...

as well as

cyanogenic Cyanide is a naturally occurring, rapidly acting, toxic chemical that can exist in many different forms. In chemistry, a cyanide () is a chemical compound that contains a functional group. This group, known as the cyano group, consists of a ...

compounds, which must be removed for human consumption. Kusum oil is unusual, with just 37% of common

glycerol Glycerol (), also called glycerine in British English and glycerin in American English, is a simple triol compound. It is a colorless, odorless, viscous liquid that is sweet-tasting and non-toxic. The glycerol backbone is found in lipids known ...

esters. The oil also contains

linoleic acid Linoleic acid (LA) is an organic compound with the formula COOH(CH2)7CH=CHCH2CH=CH(CH2)4CH3. Both alkene groups are ''cis''. It is a fatty acid sometimes denoted 18:2 (n-6) or 18:2 ''cis''-9,12. A linoleate is a salt or ester of this acid. ...

(43-50%),

palmitic acid Palmitic acid (hexadecanoic acid in IUPAC nomenclature) is a fatty acid with a 16-carbon chain. It is the most common saturated fatty acid found in animals, plants and microorganisms.Gunstone, F. D., John L. Harwood, and Albert J. Dijkstra. The L ...

(5-8%), and

hydrocyanic acid Hydrogen cyanide, sometimes called prussic acid, is a chemical compound with the formula HCN and structure . It is a colorless, extremely poisonous, and flammable liquid that boils slightly above room temperature, at . HCN is produced on an in ...

, which is poisonous and must also be removed prior to consumption. The oil is yellowish brown, semi-solid, with the faint odour of

bitter almond The almond (''Prunus amygdalus'', syn. ''Prunus dulcis'') is a species of tree native to Iran and surrounding countries, including the Levant. The almond is also the name of the edible and widely cultivated seed of this tree. Within the genus ...

. When allowed to settle, a light coloured solid fat separates. Kusum oil contains a cyanogenic compound in concentration of 0.03-0.05% as HCN. But the exact location of the cyanogenic compound in the oil or its nature has not been reported. Fatty acid composition

Uses

Kusum oil is used in

hairdressing A hairdresser is a person whose occupation is to cut or style hair in order to change or maintain a person's image. This is achieved using a combination of hair coloring, haircutting, and hair texturing techniques. A Hairdresser may also be ref ...

. The oil can also be used for cooking and lighting, and is used in traditional medicine. It is used as massage oil to relieve pain.

References

External links

* * {{Non-timber forest products Vegetable oils Food and drink in India

Collection of seeds

Oil

Uses

See also

References

External links