Vegetable oil
Vegetable oils, or vegetable fats, are oils extracted from seeds or from other parts of fruits. Like animal fats, vegetable fats are ''mixtures'' of triglycerides. Soybean oil, grape seed oil, and cocoa butter are examples of seed oils, or f ...
s are triglyceride
A triglyceride (TG, triacylglycerol, TAG, or triacylglyceride) is an ester derived from glycerol and three fatty acids (from ''wikt:tri-#Prefix, tri-'' and ''glyceride'').
Triglycerides are the main constituents of body fat in humans and other ...
s extracted from plant
Plants are predominantly photosynthetic eukaryotes of the kingdom Plantae. Historically, the plant kingdom encompassed all living things that were not animals, and included algae and fungi; however, all current definitions of Plantae exclu ...
s. Some of these oils have been part of human culture for millennia. Edible vegetable oils are used in food, both in cooking and as supplements. Many oils, edible and otherwise, are burned as fuel, such as in oil lamp
An oil lamp is a lamp used to produce light continuously for a period of time using an oil-based fuel source. The use of oil lamps began thousands of years ago and continues to this day, although their use is less common in modern times. Th ...
s and as a substitute for petroleum
Petroleum, also known as crude oil, or simply oil, is a naturally occurring yellowish-black liquid mixture of mainly hydrocarbons, and is found in geological formations. The name ''petroleum'' covers both naturally occurring unprocessed crud ...
-based fuels. Some of the many other uses include wood finishing
Wood finishing refers to the process of refining or protecting a wooden surface, especially in the production of furniture where typically it represents between 5 and 30% of manufacturing costs.
Finishing is the final step of the manufacturing ...
, oil painting
Oil painting is the process of painting with pigments with a medium of drying oil as the binder. It has been the most common technique for artistic painting on wood panel or canvas for several centuries, spreading from Europe to the rest of ...
, and skin care
Skin care is a range of practices that support skin integrity, enhance its appearance, and relieve skin conditions. They can include nutrition, avoidance of excessive sun exposure, and appropriate use of emollients. Practices that enhance appea ...
.
Definition
The term "vegetable oil" can be narrowly defined as referring only to substances that are liquid at room temperature, or broadly defined without regard to a substance's
state
State may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Literature
* ''State Magazine'', a monthly magazine published by the U.S. Department of State
* ''The State'' (newspaper), a daily newspaper in Columbia, South Carolina, United States
* ''Our S ...
(liquid or solid) at a given temperature. While a large majority of the entries in this list fit the narrower of these definitions, some do not qualify as vegetable oils according to all understandings of the term.
Classification
Vegetable oils can be classified in several ways. For instance, by their use or by the method used to extract them. In this article, vegetable oils are grouped in common classes of use.
Extraction method
There are several
types of plant oils
Plant oils or vegetable oils are oils derived from plant sources, as opposed to animal fats or petroleum. There are three primary types of plant oil, differing both the means of extracting the relevant parts of the plant, and in the nature of the ...
, distinguished by the method used to extract the oil from the plant. The relevant part of the plant may be placed under pressure to extract the
oil
An oil is any nonpolar chemical substance that is composed primarily of hydrocarbons and is hydrophobic (does not mix with water) & lipophilic (mixes with other oils). Oils are usually flammable and surface active. Most oils are unsaturated ...
, giving an
expressed (or pressed) oil. The oils included in this list are of this type. Oils may also be extracted from plants by
dissolving parts of plants in water or another
solvent
A solvent (s) (from the Latin '' solvō'', "loosen, untie, solve") is a substance that dissolves a solute, resulting in a solution. A solvent is usually a liquid but can also be a solid, a gas, or a supercritical fluid. Water is a solvent for ...
. The solution may be separated from the plant material and concentrated, giving an extracted or
leached oil. The mixture may also be separated by
distilling
Distillation, or classical distillation, is the process of separating the components or substances from a liquid mixture by using selective boiling and condensation, usually inside an apparatus known as a still. Dry distillation is the heating ...
the oil away from the plant material. Oils extracted by this latter method are called
essential oils. Essential oils often have different properties and uses than pressed or leached vegetable oils. Finally,
macerated oils are made by infusing parts of plants in a base oil, a process called
liquid–liquid extraction
Liquid–liquid extraction (LLE), also known as solvent extraction and partitioning, is a method to separate compounds or metal complexes, based on their relative solubilities in two different immiscible liquids, usually water (polar) and an orga ...
.
Sources and Uses
Most, but not all vegetable oils are extracted from the
fruit
In botany, a fruit is the seed-bearing structure in flowering plants that is formed from the ovary after flowering.
Fruits are the means by which flowering plants (also known as angiosperms) disseminate their seeds. Edible fruits in particu ...
s or
seed
A seed is an embryonic plant enclosed in a protective outer covering, along with a food reserve. The formation of the seed is a part of the process of reproduction in seed plants, the spermatophytes, including the gymnosperm and angiospe ...
s of plants. For instance,
palm oil is extracted from palm fruits, while
soybean oil
Soybean oil (British English: soyabean oil) is a vegetable oil extracted from the seeds of the soybean (''Glycine max''). It is one of the most widely consumed cooking oils and the second most consumed vegetable oil. As a drying oil, processed s ...
is extracted from soybean seeds.
Vegetable oils may also be classified by grouping oils extracted from similar plants, such as "nut oils".
Although most plants contain some oil, only the oil from certain major oil crops complemented by a few dozen minor oil crops
is widely used and traded.
Use
Oils from plants are used for several different purposes. Edible vegetable oils may be used for
cooking, or as
food additives. Many vegetable oils, edible and otherwise, are burned as
fuel, for instance as a substitute for
petroleum
Petroleum, also known as crude oil, or simply oil, is a naturally occurring yellowish-black liquid mixture of mainly hydrocarbons, and is found in geological formations. The name ''petroleum'' covers both naturally occurring unprocessed crud ...
-based fuels. Some may be also used for
cosmetics
Cosmetics are constituted mixtures of chemical compounds derived from either natural sources, or synthetically created ones. Cosmetics have various purposes. Those designed for personal care and skin care can be used to cleanse or protect ...
, medical purposes,
wood finishing
Wood finishing refers to the process of refining or protecting a wooden surface, especially in the production of furniture where typically it represents between 5 and 30% of manufacturing costs.
Finishing is the final step of the manufacturing ...
,
oil painting
Oil painting is the process of painting with pigments with a medium of drying oil as the binder. It has been the most common technique for artistic painting on wood panel or canvas for several centuries, spreading from Europe to the rest of ...
and other industrial purposes.
Edible oils
Major oils
These oils make up a significant fraction of worldwide edible oil production. All are also used as fuel oils.
* Coconut oil, a cooking oil, with medical and industrial applications as well. Extracted from the kernel or meat of the fruit of the coconut palm
The coconut tree (''Cocos nucifera'') is a member of the palm tree family (Arecaceae) and the only living species of the genus ''Cocos''. The term "coconut" (or the archaic "cocoanut") can refer to the whole coconut palm, the seed, or t ...
. Common in the tropics, and unusual in composition, with medium chain fatty acid
Medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs) are triglycerides with two or three fatty acids having an aliphatic tail of 6–12 carbon atoms, i.e. medium-chain fatty acids (MCFAs). Rich food sources for commercial extraction of MCTs include palm kernel oil a ...
s dominant.
* Corn oil, one of the principal oils sold as salad
A salad is a dish consisting of mixed, mostly natural ingredients with at least one raw ingredient. They are typically served at room temperature or chilled, though some can be served warm. Condiments and salad dressings, which exist in a va ...
and cooking oil.
*Cottonseed oil
Cottonseed oil is cooking oil from the seeds of cotton plants of various species, mainly '' Gossypium hirsutum'' and ''Gossypium herbaceum'', that are grown for cotton fiber, animal feed, and oil.
Cotton seed has a similar structure to other oi ...
, used as a salad and cooking oil, both domestically and industrially.
* Olive oil, used in cooking, cosmetics, soap
Soap is a salt of a fatty acid used in a variety of cleansing and lubricating products. In a domestic setting, soaps are surfactants usually used for washing, bathing, and other types of housekeeping. In industrial settings, soaps are use ...
s, and as a fuel for traditional oil lamp
An oil lamp is a lamp used to produce light continuously for a period of time using an oil-based fuel source. The use of oil lamps began thousands of years ago and continues to this day, although their use is less common in modern times. Th ...
s.
* Palm oil, the most widely produced tropical
The tropics are the regions of Earth surrounding the Equator. They are defined in latitude by the Tropic of Cancer in the Northern Hemisphere at N and the Tropic of Capricorn in
the Southern Hemisphere at S. The tropics are also referred to ...
oil. Popular in West Africa
West Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of Africa. The United Nations defines Western Africa as the 16 countries of Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Mali, M ...
n and Brazil
Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...
ian cuisine. Also used to make biofuel.
*
Peanut oil
Peanut oil, also known as groundnut oil or arachis oil, is a vegetable oil derived from peanuts. The oil usually has a mild or neutral flavor but, if made with roasted peanuts, has a stronger peanut flavor and aroma. It is often used in America ...
(Ground nut oil), a clear oil with some applications as a
salad dressing
A salad dressing is a sauce for salads. Used on virtually all '' leafy salads'', dressings may also be used in making salads of beans (such as three bean salad), noodle or pasta salads and antipasti, and forms of potato salad.
Salad dressing ...
, and, due to its high
smoke point
The smoke point, also referred to as the burning point, is the temperature at which an oil or fat begins to produce a continuous bluish smoke that becomes clearly visible, dependent upon specific and defined conditions. Smoke point values can va ...
, especially used for
frying.
*
Rapeseed oil, including Canola oil, the most sold cooking oil all around the world; used as a salad and cooking oil, both domestically and industrially.
Also used in fuel industry as bio-fuel.
*
Safflower oil
Safflower (''Carthamus tinctorius'') is a highly branched, herbaceous, thistle-like annual plant in the family Asteraceae. It is commercially cultivated for vegetable oil extracted from the seeds and was used by the early Spanish colonies along ...
, until the 1960s used in the
paint industry, now mostly as a cooking oil.
*
Sesame oil
Sesame oil is an edible vegetable oil derived from sesame seeds. The oil is one of the earliest-known crop-based oils. Worldwide mass modern production is limited due to the inefficient manual harvesting process required to extract the oil. ...
, cold pressed as light cooking oil, hot pressed for a darker and stronger flavor.
*
Soybean oil
Soybean oil (British English: soyabean oil) is a vegetable oil extracted from the seeds of the soybean (''Glycine max''). It is one of the most widely consumed cooking oils and the second most consumed vegetable oil. As a drying oil, processed s ...
, produced as a byproduct of processing soy meal.
*
Sunflower oil, a common cooking oil, also used to make
biodiesel
Biodiesel is a form of diesel fuel derived from plants or animals and consisting of long-chain fatty acid esters. It is typically made by chemically reacting lipids such as animal fat ( tallow), soybean oil, or some other vegetable oil ...
.
Nut oils
![Hazelnuts](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3f/Hazelnuts.jpg)
Nut oils are generally used in cooking, for their
flavor
Flavor or flavour is either the sensory perception of taste or smell, or a flavoring in food that produces such perception.
Flavor or flavour may also refer to:
Science
*Flavors (programming language), an early object-oriented extension to Lis ...
. Most are quite costly, because of the difficulty of extracting the oil.
*
Almond oil
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 ...
, used as an edible oil, but primarily in the manufacture of
cosmetics
Cosmetics are constituted mixtures of chemical compounds derived from either natural sources, or synthetically created ones. Cosmetics have various purposes. Those designed for personal care and skin care can be used to cleanse or protect ...
.
*
Beech nut oil, from ''Fagus sylvatica'' nuts, is a well-regarded edible oil in Europe, used for salads and cooking.
*
Brazil nut
The Brazil nut (''Bertholletia excelsa'') is a South American tree in the family Lecythidaceae, and it is also the name of the tree's commercially harvested edible seeds. It is one of the largest and longest-lived trees in the Amazon rainforest. ...
oil contains 75%
unsaturated fatty acids
In nutrition, biology, and chemistry, fat usually means any ester of fatty acids, or a mixture of such compounds, most commonly those that occur in living beings or in food.
The term often refers specifically to triglycerides (triple est ...
composed mainly of
oleic and
linolenic acid
Linolenic acid is a type of naturally-occurring fatty acid. It can refer to either of two octadecatrienoic acids (i.e. with an 18-carbon chain and three double bonds, which are found in the '' cis'' configuration), or a mixture of the two. Lino ...
s, as well as the
phytosterol
Phytosterols are phytosteroids, similar to cholesterol, that serve as structural components of biological membranes of plants. They encompass plant sterols and stanols. More than 250 sterols and related compounds have been identified. Free phy ...
,
beta-sitosterol
β-sitosterol (beta-sitosterol) is one of several phytosterols (plant sterols) with chemical structures similar to that of cholesterol. It is a white, waxy powder with a characteristic odor, and is one of the components of the food additive E499 ...
, and fat-soluble
vitamin E
Vitamin E is a group of eight fat soluble compounds that include four tocopherols and four tocotrienols. Vitamin E deficiency, which is rare and usually due to an underlying problem with digesting dietary fat rather than from a diet low in vi ...
. Extra virgin oil can be obtained during the first pressing of the nuts, possibly for use as a substitute for
olive oil due to its mild, pleasant flavor.
*
Cashew oil
The cashew tree (''Anacardium occidentale'') is a tropical evergreen tree native to South America in the genus ''Anacardium'' that produces the cashew seed and the cashew apple accessory fruit. The tree can grow as tall as , but the dwarf cult ...
, somewhat comparable to
olive oil. May have value for fighting
dental cavities
Dental may refer to:
* Dental consonant, in phonetics
* Dental Records, an independent UK record label
* Dentistry, oral medicine
* Teeth
See also
*
* Dental care (disambiguation)
* Dentist (disambiguation)
* Tooth (disambiguation)
A tooth (pl ...
.
*
Hazelnut oil
The hazelnut is the fruit of the hazel tree and therefore includes any of the nuts deriving from species of the genus ''Corylus'', especially the nuts of the species ''Corylus avellana''. They are also known as cobnuts or filberts according ...
, mainly used for its flavor. Also used in skin care, because of its slight
astringent
An astringent (sometimes called adstringent) is a chemical that shrinks or constricts body tissues. The word derives from the Latin ''adstringere'', which means "to bind fast". Calamine lotion, witch hazel, and yerba mansa, a Californian pla ...
nature.
*
Macadamia oil
Macadamia oil (or macadamia nut oil) is the non-volatile oil collected from the nuts of the macadamia (''Macadamia integrifolia''), a native Australian plant. It is used in food as a frying or salad oil, and in cosmetic formulations as an emollien ...
, with a mild nutty flavor and a high
smoke point
The smoke point, also referred to as the burning point, is the temperature at which an oil or fat begins to produce a continuous bluish smoke that becomes clearly visible, dependent upon specific and defined conditions. Smoke point values can va ...
.
*
Mongongo nut oil (or ''manketti oil''), from the seeds of the ''Schinziophyton rautanenii'', a tree which grows in
South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the Atlantic Ocean, South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the ...
. High in
vitamin E
Vitamin E is a group of eight fat soluble compounds that include four tocopherols and four tocotrienols. Vitamin E deficiency, which is rare and usually due to an underlying problem with digesting dietary fat rather than from a diet low in vi ...
. Also used in skin care.
*
Pecan oil
Pecan oil is an edible pressed oil extracted from the pecan nut. Pecan oil is neutral in flavor and takes on the flavor of whatever seasoning is being used with it. Pecan oil contains 9.5% saturated fat, which is less than in olive oil (13.5%), p ...
, valued as a food oil, but requiring fresh pecans for good quality oil.
*
Pine nut oil
Pine nut oil, also called ''pine seed oil'' or ''cedar nut oil'', is a vegetable oil, extracted from the edible seeds of several species of pine. While the oil produced from the seeds of more common European and American pine varieties is mostly ...
, sold as a gourmet cooking oil, and of potential medicinal interest as an appetite suppressant.
*
Pistachio oil
Pistachio oil is a pressed oil, extracted from the fruit of ''Pistacia vera'', the pistachio nut.
Culinary uses
Compared to other nut oils, pistachio oil has a particularly strong flavor. Like other nut oils, it tastes similar to the nut from w ...
, a strongly flavored oil with a distinctive green color.
*
Walnut oil
Walnut oil is oil extracted from walnuts, '' Juglans regia''. The oil contains polyunsaturated fatty acids, monounsaturated fatty acids, and saturated fats.
Composition
Walnut oil is composed largely of polyunsaturated fatty acids (72% of tota ...
, used for its flavor,
also used by
Renaissance
The Renaissance ( , ) , from , with the same meanings. is a period in European history
The history of Europe is traditionally divided into four time periods: prehistoric Europe (prior to about 800 BC), classical antiquity (800 BC to AD ...
painters in
oil paint
Oil paint is a type of slow-drying paint that consists of particles of pigment suspended in a drying oil, commonly linseed oil. The viscosity of the paint may be modified by the addition of a solvent such as turpentine or white spirit, and va ...
s.
*
Pumpkin seed oil
Pumpkin seed oil is a culinary oil, used especially in central Europe.
Culinary uses
This oil is a culinary specialty from what used to be part of the Austria-Hungary, Austro-Hungarian Empire and is now southeastern Austria (Styria), eastern S ...
Citrus oils
A number of
citrus
''Citrus'' is a genus of flowering trees and shrubs in the rue family, Rutaceae. Plants in the genus produce citrus fruits, including important crops such as oranges, lemons, grapefruits, pomelos, and limes. The genus ''Citrus'' is native to ...
plants yield pressed oils. Some, such as lemon and orange oil, are used as
essential oils, which is uncommon for pressed oils.
[Lime oil, for example, is distilled, not pressed. See ]Jackson
Jackson may refer to:
People and fictional characters
* Jackson (name), including a list of people and fictional characters with the surname or given name
Places
Australia
* Jackson, Queensland, a town in the Maranoa Region
* Jackson North, Qu ...
p. 131
/ref> The seeds of many if not most members of the citrus family yield usable oils.
* Grapefruit seed oil, extracted from the seeds of grapefruit (''Citrus × paradisi''). Grapefruit seed oil was extracted experimentally in 1930 and was shown to be suitable for making soap.
* Lemon oil
The lemon (''Citrus limon'') is a species of small evergreen trees in the flowering plant family Rutaceae, native to Asia, primarily Northeast India (Assam), Northern Myanmar or China.
The tree's ellipsoidal yellow fruit is used for culina ...
, similar in fragrance to the fruit. One of a small number of cold pressed essential oils. Used as a flavoring agent and in aromatherapy.
* Orange oil
Orange oil is an essential oil produced by cells within the rind of an orange fruit (''Citrus sinensis'' fruit). In contrast to most essential oils, it is extracted as a by-product of orange juice production by centrifugation, producing a co ...
, like lemon oil, cold pressed rather than distilled. Consists of 90% d-Limonene
Limonene is a colorless liquid aliphatic hydrocarbon classified as a cyclic monoterpene, and is the major component in the oil of citrus fruit peels. The -isomer, occurring more commonly in nature as the fragrance of oranges, is a flavoring a ...
. Used as a fragrance, in cleaning products and in flavoring foods.
Oils from melon and gourd seeds
Members of the Cucurbitaceae
The Cucurbitaceae, also called cucurbits or the gourd family, are a plant family consisting of about 965 species in around 95 genera, of which the most important to humans are:
*''Cucurbita'' – squash, pumpkin, zucchini, some gourds
*'' Lagen ...
include gourd
Gourds include the fruits of some flowering plant species in the family Cucurbitaceae, particularly ''Cucurbita'' and '' Lagenaria''. The term refers to a number of species and subspecies, many with hard shells, and some without. One of the ear ...
s, melon
A melon is any of various plants of the family Cucurbitaceae with sweet, edible, and fleshy fruit. The word "melon" can refer to either the plant or specifically to the fruit. Botanically, a melon is a kind of berry, specifically a " pepo". Th ...
s, pumpkins, and squash
Squash may refer to:
Sports
* Squash (sport), the high-speed racquet sport also known as squash racquets
* Squash (professional wrestling), an extremely one-sided match in professional wrestling
* Squash tennis, a game similar to squash but pla ...
es. Seeds from these plants are noted for their oil content, but little information is available on methods of extracting the oil. In most cases, the plants are grown as food, with dietary use of the oils as a byproduct of using the seeds as food.
* Bitter gourd oil, from the seeds of ''Momordica charantia
''Momordica charantia'' (commonly called bitter melon; Goya; bitter apple; bitter gourd; bitter squash; balsam-pear; with many more names listed below) is a tropical and subtropical vine of the family Cucurbitaceae, widely grown in Asia, Afr ...
''. High in α-Eleostearic acid. Of current research interest for its potential anti-carcinogenic properties.
* Bottle gourd oil, extracted from the seeds of the ''Lagenaria siceraria
Calabash (; ''Lagenaria siceraria''), also known as bottle gourd, white-flowered gourd, long melon, birdhouse gourd, New Guinea bean, Tasmania bean, and opo squash, is a vine grown for its fruit. It can be either harvested young to be consumed ...
'', widely grown in tropical regions
The tropics are the regions of Earth surrounding the Equator. They are defined in latitude by the Tropic of Cancer in the Northern Hemisphere at N and the Tropic of Capricorn in
the Southern Hemisphere at S. The tropics are also referred to ...
. Used as an edible oil.
* Buffalo gourd oil Buffalo gourd oil is a seed oil, extracted from the seeds of the ''Cucurbita foetidissima'', which is native to southwest North America. As the Latin name of the plant indicates, the vine has a foul smell. The seeds of the Buffalo gourd are rich in ...
, from the seeds of the ''Cucurbita foetidissima
''Cucurbita foetidissima'' is a tuberous xerophytic plant found in the central and southwestern United States and northern Mexico. It has numerous common names, including: buffalo gourd, calabazilla, chilicote, coyote gourd, fetid gourd, fetid wi ...
'', a vine
A vine (Latin ''vīnea'' "grapevine", "vineyard", from ''vīnum'' "wine") is any plant with a growth habit of trailing or scandent (that is, climbing) stems, lianas or runners. The word ''vine'' can also refer to such stems or runners themsel ...
with a rank odor, native to southwest North America.
* Butternut squash seed oil, from the seeds of ''Cucurbita moschata
''Cucurbita moschata'' is a species originating in either Central America or northern South America. It includes cultivars known as squash or pumpkin. ''C. moschata'' cultivars are generally more tolerant of hot, humid weather than cultivars of ...
'', has a nutty flavor that is used for salad dressings, marinades, and sautéeing.
* Egusi[Note that "egusi" is the common name of several species of melons, including '' Citrullus vulgaris'' cultivars and '' Lagenaria sicerari''.] seed oil, from the seeds of '' Cucumeropsis mannii naudin'', is particularly rich in 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.
...
.
* Pumpkin seed oil
Pumpkin seed oil is a culinary oil, used especially in central Europe.
Culinary uses
This oil is a culinary specialty from what used to be part of the Austria-Hungary, Austro-Hungarian Empire and is now southeastern Austria (Styria), eastern S ...
, a specialty cooking oil, produced in Austria
Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...
, Slovenia
Slovenia ( ; sl, Slovenija ), officially the Republic of Slovenia (Slovene: , abbr.: ''RS''), is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the west, Austria to the north, Hungary to the northeast, Croatia to the southeast, an ...
and Croatia
, image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg
, image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg
, anthem = "Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland")
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, capit ...
. Used mostly in salad dressings.
* Watermelon seed oil
Watermelon seed oil is extracted by pressing from the seeds of the '' Citrullus lanatus ''(watermelon). It is particularly common in West Africa, where it is also called ''ootanga oil''.
The common watermelon most likely originated almost 5,000 ...
, pressed from the seeds of '' Citrullus vulgaris''. Traditionally used in cooking in West Africa
West Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of Africa. The United Nations defines Western Africa as the 16 countries of Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Mali, M ...
.
Food supplements
A number of oils are used as food supplements
A dietary supplement is a manufactured product intended to supplement one's diet by taking a pill, capsule, tablet, powder, or liquid. A supplement can provide nutrients either extracted from food sources or that are synthetic in orde ...
(or " nutraceuticals"), for their nutrient content or purported medicinal effect. Borage seed oil Borage seed oil is derived from the seeds of the plant, ''Borago officinalis'' (borage).[Borage]
at ...
, blackcurrant seed oil, and evening primrose oil
''Oenothera biennis'', the common evening-primrose, is a species of flowering plant in the family Onagraceae, native to eastern and central North America, from Newfoundland west to Alberta, southeast to Florida, and southwest to Texas, and widely ...
all have a significant amount of gamma-Linolenic acid (GLA) (about 23%, 15–20% and 7–10%, respectively), and it is this that has drawn the interest of researchers.
* Açaí oil
Açaí oil is obtained from the fruit of ''Euterpe oleracea'' (açaí palm), which grows in the Amazon rainforest. The oil is rich in phenolic compounds similar in profile to the pulp itself, such as vanillic acid, syringic acid, p-hydroxybenzoi ...
, from the fruit of several species
In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...
of the Açaí palm
The açaí palm (, , from Nheengatu ''asai''), '' Euterpe oleracea,'' is a species of palm tree (Arecaceae) cultivated for its fruit (açaí berries, or simply açaí), hearts of palm (a vegetable), leaves, and trunk wood. Global demand for t ...
(''Euterpe'') grown in the Amazon
Amazon most often refers to:
* Amazons, a tribe of female warriors in Greek mythology
* Amazon rainforest, a rainforest covering most of the Amazon basin
* Amazon River, in South America
* Amazon (company), an American multinational technolog ...
region.
* Black seed oil
''Nigella sativa'' (black caraway, also known as black cumin, nigella, kalonji or siyahdaneh) is an annual flowering plant in the family Ranunculaceae, native to eastern Europe (Bulgaria and Romania) and Western Asia (Cyprus, Turkey, Iran and Ir ...
, pressed from ''Nigella sativa
''Nigella sativa'' (black caraway, also known as black cumin, nigella, kalonji or siyahdaneh) is an annual flowering plant in the family Ranunculaceae, native to eastern Europe (Bulgaria and Romania) and Western Asia (Cyprus, Turkey, Iran and Ir ...
'' seeds, has a long history of medicinal use, including in ancient Greek
Ancient Greek includes the forms of the Greek language used in ancient Greece and the ancient world from around 1500 BC to 300 BC. It is often roughly divided into the following periods: Mycenaean Greek (), Dark Ages (), the Archaic p ...
, Asian
Asian may refer to:
* Items from or related to the continent of Asia:
** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia
** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia
** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...
, and Islamic medicine
In the history of medicine, "Islamic medicine" is the science of medicine developed in the Middle East, and usually written in Arabic, the ''lingua franca'' of Islamic civilization.
Islamic medicine adopted, systematized and developed the medi ...
, as well as being a topic of current medical research.
* Blackcurrant seed oil, from the seeds of '' Ribes nigrum'', used as a food supplement. High in gamma-Linolenic, omega-3
Omega−3 fatty acids, also called Omega-3 oils, ω−3 fatty acids or ''n''−3 fatty acids, are polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) characterized by the presence of a double bond, three atoms away from the terminal methyl group in their chem ...
and omega-6 fatty acid
Omega-6 fatty acids (also referred to as ω-6 fatty acids or ''n''-6 fatty acids) are a family of polyunsaturated fatty acids that have in common a final carbon-carbon double bond in the ''n''-6 position, that is, the sixth bond, counting from ...
s.[
]
* Borage seed oil Borage seed oil is derived from the seeds of the plant, ''Borago officinalis'' (borage).[Borage]
at ...
, from the seeds of ''Borago officinalis
Borage ( or ; ''Borago officinalis''), also known as starflower, is an annual herb in the flowering plant family Boraginaceae. It is native to the Mediterranean region, and has naturalized in many other locales.
It grows satisfactorily in gar ...
''.
* Evening primrose oil
''Oenothera biennis'', the common evening-primrose, is a species of flowering plant in the family Onagraceae, native to eastern and central North America, from Newfoundland west to Alberta, southeast to Florida, and southwest to Texas, and widely ...
, from the seeds of ''Oenothera biennis
''Oenothera biennis'', the common evening-primrose, is a species of flowering plant in the family Onagraceae, native to eastern and central North America, from Newfoundland west to Alberta, southeast to Florida, and southwest to Texas, and widely ...
'', the most important plant source of gamma-Linolenic acid, particularly because it does not contain alpha-Linolenic acid
''alpha''-Linolenic acid (ALA), also known as α-Linolenic acid (from Greek ''alpha'' meaning "first" and ''linon'' meaning flax), is an ''n''−3, or omega-3, essential fatty acid. ALA is found in many seeds and oils, including flaxseed, wa ...
.
* Flaxseed oil (called linseed oil when used as a drying oil
A drying oil is an oil that hardens to a tough, solid film after a period of exposure to air, at room temperature. The oil hardens through a chemical reaction in which the components crosslink (and hence, polymerize) by the action of oxygen (no ...
), from the seeds of ''Linum usitatissimum
Flax, also known as common flax or linseed, is a flowering plant, ''Linum usitatissimum'', in the family Linaceae. It is cultivated as a food and fiber crop in regions of the world with temperate climates. Textiles made from flax are known in W ...
''. High in omega-3 and lignan
The lignans are a large group of low molecular weight polyphenols found in plants, particularly seeds, whole grains, and vegetables. The name derives from the Latin word for "wood". Lignans are precursors to phytoestrogens. They may play a role ...
s, which can be used medicinally. A good dietary equivalent to fish oil
Fish oil is oil derived from the tissues of oily fish. Fish oils contain the omega-3 fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), precursors of certain eicosanoids that are known to reduce inflammation in the b ...
. Easily turns rancid.
Other edible oils
* Amaranth oil
Amaranth oil is extracted from the seeds of two species of the genus ''Amaranthus'' — '' A. cruentus'' and '' A. hypochondriacus'' — that are called, collectively, amaranth grain.
Amaranth oil is a light-to-medium-colored, clear liquid that is ...
, from the seeds of grain amaranth species, including ''Amaranthus cruentus
''Amaranthus cruentus'' is a flowering plant species that yields the nutritious staple amaranth grain. It is one of three ''Amaranthus'' species cultivated as a grain source, the other two being ''Amaranthus hypochondriacus'' and '' Amaranthus c ...
'' and ''Amaranthus hypochondriacus
''Amaranthus hypochondriacus'' is an ornamental plant commonly known as Prince-of-Wales feather or prince's-feather. Originally endemic to Mexico, it is called ''quelite, bledo'' and ''quintonil'' in Spanish.
In Africa and El Salvador, like many ...
'', high in squalene
Squalene is an organic compound. It is a triterpenoid with the formula C30H50. It is a colourless oil, although impure samples appear yellow. It was originally obtained from shark liver oil (hence its name, as ''Squalus'' is a genus of sharks). A ...
and unsaturated fatty acid
In chemistry, particularly in biochemistry, a fatty acid is a carboxylic acid with an aliphatic chain, which is either saturated or unsaturated. Most naturally occurring fatty acids have an unbranched chain of an even number of carbon atoms, ...
s.
* Apricot oil, similar to almond oil
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 ...
, which it resembles. Used in cosmetics.
* Apple seed oil
Apple seed oil is a vegetable oil obtained by pressing apple seeds. It is used in manufacturing cosmetics.Krist, Sabine. (2020). ''Vegetable Fats and Oils''. Springer. pp. 61-66.
Apple seed oil contains protein (about 34%). Apple seed oil may be ...
, high in 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.
...
.
* Argan oil, from the seeds of the ''Argania spinosa
''Argania'' (Tashelhit: ⴰⵔⴳⴰⵏ ''Argan'') is a genus of flowering plants containing the sole species ''Argania spinosa'', known as argan, a tree endemic to the calcareous semidesert Sous valley of southwestern Morocco and to the regi ...
'', is a food oil from Morocco
Morocco (),, ) officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria t ...
developed through a women's cooperative founded in the 1990s,[
Th]
Targanine
cooperative was founded by Prof. Zoubida Charrouf in the 1990s to help local poor, widowed and divorced women derive an income from producing and exporting high-quality argan oil. See
that has also attracted recent attention in Europe
Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a subcontinent of Eurasia and it is located entirel ...
.
* Avocado oil
Avocado oil is an edible oil extracted from the pulp of avocados, the fruit of ''Persea americana''. It is used as an edible oil both raw and for cooking, where it is noted for its high smoke point. It is also used for lubrication and in cosmetics ...
, an edible oil used primarily in the cosmetics
Cosmetics are constituted mixtures of chemical compounds derived from either natural sources, or synthetically created ones. Cosmetics have various purposes. Those designed for personal care and skin care can be used to cleanse or protect ...
and pharmaceutical
A medication (also called medicament, medicine, pharmaceutical drug, medicinal drug or simply drug) is a drug used to diagnose, cure, treat, or prevent disease. Drug therapy (pharmacotherapy) is an important part of the medical field an ...
industries. Unusually high smoke point
The smoke point, also referred to as the burning point, is the temperature at which an oil or fat begins to produce a continuous bluish smoke that becomes clearly visible, dependent upon specific and defined conditions. Smoke point values can va ...
of .
* Babassu oil
Babassu oil or cusi oil is a clear light yellow vegetable oil extracted from the seeds of the babassu palm (''Attalea speciosa'') which grows in the Amazon region of South America. It is a non-drying oil used in food, cleaners and skin products. ...
, from the seeds of the ''Attalea speciosa
''Attalea speciosa'', the babassu, babassu palm, ''babaçu, or cusi'', is a palm native to the Amazon Rainforest region in South America. The babassu palm is the predominant species in the Maranhão Babaçu forests of Maranhão and Piauí state ...
'', is similar to, and used as a substitute for, coconut oil.
* Ben oil
Ben oil is pressed from the seeds of the '' Moringa oleifera'', known variously as the horseradish tree, ben oil tree, or drumstick tree. The oil is characterized by an unusually long shelf life and a mild, but pleasant taste. The name of the oil ...
, extracted from the seeds of the ''Moringa oleifera
''Moringa oleifera'' is a fast-growing, drought-resistant tree of the family Moringaceae, native to the Indian subcontinent. Common names include moringa, drumstick tree (from the long, slender, triangular seed-pods), horseradish tree (from t ...
''. High in behenic acid
Behenic acid (also docosanoic acid) is a carboxylic acid, the saturated fatty acid with formula C21H43COOH. In appearance, it consists of white solid although impure samples appear yellowish.
Sources
At 9%, it is a major component of ben oil (or ...
. Extremely stable edible oil. Also suitable for biofuel.
* Borneo tallow nut oil Borneo tallow nut oil or sal nut oil is extracted from the fruit of species of genus ''Shorea'', which is native to Borneo, Java, Malaya and the Philippines. The oil is extracted from the egg-shaped, winged fruit using traditional methods in rural ...
, extracted from the fruit of species of genus ''Shorea
Fruit of a ''Shorea'' species
''Shorea'' is a genus of about 196 species of mainly rainforest trees in the family Dipterocarpaceae. The genus is named after Sir John Shore, the governor-general of the British East India Company, 1793–1798. T ...
''. Used as a substitute for cocoa butter
Cocoa butter, also called theobroma oil, is a pale-yellow, edible fat extracted from the cocoa bean. It is used to make chocolate, as well as some ointments, toiletries, and pharmaceuticals. Cocoa butter has a cocoa flavor and aroma. Its mel ...
, and to make soap, candles, cosmetics and medicines in places where the tree is common.
* Cape chestnut
''Calodendrum capense'', the Cape chestnut, is an African tree which was first studied at The Cape in South Africa and cultivated widely for its prolific flower display. The tree obtained the common name of "Cape chestnut" because explorer Willi ...
oil, also called yangu oil, is a popular oil in Africa for skin care.
* Carob pod oil (Algaroba oil), from carob
The carob ( ; ''Ceratonia siliqua'') is a flowering evergreen tree or shrub in the Caesalpinioideae sub-family of the legume family, Fabaceae. It is widely cultivated for its edible fruit pods, and as an ornamental tree in gardens and lands ...
, with an exceptionally high essential fatty acid
Essential fatty acids, or EFAs, are fatty acids that humans and other animals must ingest because the body requires them for good health but cannot synthesize them.
Only two fatty acids are known to be essential for humans: alpha-linolenic ac ...
content.
* Cocoa butter
Cocoa butter, also called theobroma oil, is a pale-yellow, edible fat extracted from the cocoa bean. It is used to make chocolate, as well as some ointments, toiletries, and pharmaceuticals. Cocoa butter has a cocoa flavor and aroma. Its mel ...
, from the cacao plant, is used in the manufacture of chocolate
Chocolate is a food made from roasted and ground cacao seed kernels that is available as a liquid, solid, or paste, either on its own or as a flavoring agent in other foods. Cacao has been consumed in some form since at least the Olmec civ ...
, as well as in some ointments and cosmetics; sometimes known as theobroma oil
* Cocklebur oil Cocklebur oil is obtained by pressing the seeds of cockleburs (''Xanthium'' ssp.), plants that are otherwise considered an agricultural pest that can harm or kill livestock. The oil is similar to poppyseed oil, light yellow in color, and similar to ...
, from species of genus ''Xanthium
''Xanthium'' (cocklebur) is a genus of flowering plants in the tribe Heliantheae within the family Asteraceae, native to the Americas and eastern Asia and some parts of south Asia .
Description
Cockleburs are coarse, herbaceous annual plants ...
'', with similar properties to poppyseed oil
Poppyseed oil (also poppy seed oil and poppy oil) is an edible oil obtained from poppy seeds (specifically seeds of ''Papaver somniferum'', the opium poppy).
Poppy seeds yield 45–50% oil. Like poppy seeds, poppyseed oil is highly palatable, ...
, similar in taste and smell to sunflower oil.
* Cohune oil
Cohune oil is pressed from the seeds of the cohune palm, which is native to Central and South America.
Along with other byproducts of the palm, cohune oil is believed to have been used by cultures in southern Mesoamerica since the pre-Columbian ...
, from the ''Attalea cohune
''Attalea cohune'', commonly known as the cohune palm (also rain tree, American oil palm, corozo palm or manaca palm), is a species of palm tree native to Mexico and parts of Central America.
The cohune palm is used in the production of cohune o ...
'' (cohune palm) used as a lubricant, for cooking, soapmaking and as a lamp oil.
* Coriander seed oil, from coriander seeds, used in a wide variety of flavoring applications, including gin and seasoning blends. Recent research has shown promise for use in killing food-borne bacteria, such as '' E. coli''.
* Date seed oil, extracted from date
Date or dates may refer to:
*Date (fruit), the fruit of the date palm (''Phoenix dactylifera'')
Social activity
*Dating, a form of courtship involving social activity, with the aim of assessing a potential partner
** Group dating
*Play date, a ...
pits. Its low extraction rate and lack of other distinguishing characteristics make it an unlikely candidate for major use.
* Dika oil, from ''Irvingia gabonensis
''Irvingia gabonensis'' is a species of African trees in the genus ''Irvingia'', sometimes known by the common names wild mango, African mango, or bush mango. They bear edible mango-like fruits, and are especially valued for their fat- and prote ...
'' seeds, native to West Africa
West Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of Africa. The United Nations defines Western Africa as the 16 countries of Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Mali, M ...
. Used to make margarine, soap
Soap is a salt of a fatty acid used in a variety of cleansing and lubricating products. In a domestic setting, soaps are surfactants usually used for washing, bathing, and other types of housekeeping. In industrial settings, soaps are use ...
and pharmaceuticals, where is it being examined as a tablet lubricant. Largely underdeveloped.
* False flax oil made of the seeds of ''Camelina sativa
''Camelina sativa'' is a flowering plant in the family Brassicaceae and is usually known in English as camelina, gold-of-pleasure, or false flax, also occasionally wild flax, linseed dodder, German sesame, and Siberian oilseed. It is native to E ...
''. One of the earliest oil crops, dating back to the 6th millennium B.C. Produced in modern times in Central
Central is an adjective usually referring to being in the center of some place or (mathematical) object.
Central may also refer to:
Directions and generalised locations
* Central Africa, a region in the centre of Africa continent, also known as ...
and Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe is a subregion of the European continent. As a largely ambiguous term, it has a wide range of geopolitical, geographical, ethnic, cultural, and socio-economic connotations. The vast majority of the region is covered by Russia, whic ...
; fell out of production in the 1940s. Considered promising as a food or fuel oil.
* Grape seed oil
Grape seed oil (also called grapeseed oil or grape oil) is a vegetable oil derived from the seeds of grapes. A by-product of the winemaking industry, it is typically used for edible applications.
Uses
Cooking
Grape seed oil has a moderatel ...
, a cooking and salad oil, also sprayed on raisins to help them retain their flavor.
* Hemp oil
Hemp oil (hemp seed oil) is oil obtained by pressing hemp seeds. Cold pressed, unrefined hemp oil is dark to clear light green in color, with a nutty flavor. The darker the color, the grassier the flavour. It should not be confused with hash o ...
, a high quality food oil also used to make paints, varnishes, resins and soft soaps.Harborne
Harborne is an area of south-west Birmingham, England. It is one of the most affluent areas of the Midlands, southwest from Birmingham city centre. It is a Birmingham City Council ward in the formal district and in the parliamentary constitu ...
p. 100
/ref>
* Kapok seed oil, from the seeds of ''Ceiba pentandra
''Ceiba pentandra'' is a tropical tree of the order Malvales and the family Malvaceae (previously emplaced in the family Bombacaceae), native to Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean, northern South America, and (as the variety ''C. pentandr ...
'', used as an edible oil, and in soap production.
* Kenaf seed oil, from the seeds of '' Hibiscus cannabinus''. An edible oil similar to cottonseed oil
Cottonseed oil is cooking oil from the seeds of cotton plants of various species, mainly '' Gossypium hirsutum'' and ''Gossypium herbaceum'', that are grown for cotton fiber, animal feed, and oil.
Cotton seed has a similar structure to other oi ...
, with a long history of use.
* Lallemantia oil, from the seeds of '' Lallemantia iberica'', discovered at archaeological sites
An archaeological site is a place (or group of physical sites) in which evidence of past activity is preserved (either prehistoric or historic or contemporary), and which has been, or may be, investigated using the discipline of archaeology and ...
in northern Greece.
* Mafura oil, extracted from the seeds of ''Trichilia emetica
''Trichilia emetica'' is a tree in the family Meliaceae, commonly known as the Natal mahogany. It is an evergreen tree, with handsome glossy dark green leaves and a wide spreading crown. Its sweet-scented flowers attract bees and birds.
Subspeci ...
''. Used as an edible oil in Ethiopia. Mafura butter, extracted as part of the same process when extracting the oil, is not edible, and is used in soap and candle making, as a body ointment, as fuel, and medicinally.
* Marula oil, extracted from the kernel of ''Sclerocarya birrea''. Used as an edible oil with a light, nutty flavor. Also used in soaps. Fatty acid composition is similar to that of olive oil.
* Meadowfoam seed oil, highly stable oil, with over 98% long-chain fatty acid
In chemistry, particularly in biochemistry, a fatty acid is a carboxylic acid with an aliphatic chain, which is either saturated or unsaturated. Most naturally occurring fatty acids have an unbranched chain of an even number of carbon atoms, ...
s. Competes with rapeseed, rapeseed oil for industrial applications.
* Mustard oil (pressed), used in India as a cooking oil. Also used as a massage oil.
* Niger seed oil is obtained from the edible seeds of the Niger plant, which belongs to the genus ''Guizotia'' of the family Asteraceae. The botanical name of the plant is ''Guizotia abyssinica''. Cultivation for the plant originated in the Ethiopian highlands, and has since spread from Malawi to India.
* Nutmeg, Nutmeg butter, extracted by Ram press (food), expression from the fruit of wikt:congener, cogeners of genus ''Nutmeg, Myristica''. Nutmeg butter has a large amount of trimyristin. Nutmeg oil, by contrast, is an essential oil, extracted by steam distillation.
* Okra, Okra seed oil, from ''Abelmoschus esculentus''. Composed predominantly of oleic and 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.
...
s. The greenish yellow edible oil has a pleasant taste and odor.
* Papaya seed oil, high in omega-3 and omega-6, similar in composition to olive oil. Not to be confused with papaya oil produced by Liquid–liquid extraction, maceration.
* Perilla oil, Perilla seed oil, high in omega-3 fatty acids. Used as an edible oil, for medicinal purposes in Asian herbal medicine, in skin care products and as a drying oil.
* Persimmon seed oil, extracted from the seeds of ''Diospyros virginiana''. Dark, reddish-brown color, similar in taste to olive oil. Nearly equal content of oleic and 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.
...
s.
* Pequi oil, extracted from the seeds of ''Caryocar brasiliense''. Used in Brazil
Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...
as a highly prized cooking oil.[
#axtell, Axtell,]
Caryocar spp.
* Pili nut oil, extracted from the seeds of ''Canarium ovatum''. Used in the Philippines as an edible oil, as well as for a lamp oil.
* Pomegranate seed oil, from ''Punica granatum'' seeds, is very high in punicic acid (which takes its name from pomegranates). A topic of current medical research for treating and preventing cancer.
* Poppyseed oil, long used for cooking, in paints, varnishes, and soap
Soap is a salt of a fatty acid used in a variety of cleansing and lubricating products. In a domestic setting, soaps are surfactants usually used for washing, bathing, and other types of housekeeping. In industrial settings, soaps are use ...
s.
* Pracaxi oil, extracted from the seeds of Pentaclethra macroloba. Similar to peanut oil, but has a high concentration of behenic acid
Behenic acid (also docosanoic acid) is a carboxylic acid, the saturated fatty acid with formula C21H43COOH. In appearance, it consists of white solid although impure samples appear yellowish.
Sources
At 9%, it is a major component of ben oil (or ...
(19%).
* Prune kernel oil, marketed as a gourmet cooking oil Similar in composition to peach kernel oil.
* Quinoa oil, similar in composition and use to corn oil.
* Ramtil oil, pressed from the seeds of the one of several species of genus ''Guizotia abyssinica'' (Niger pea) in India and Ethiopia.
* Rice bran oil is a highly stable cooking and salad oil, suitable for high-temperature cooking. It also has potential as a biofuel.
* Royle oil, pressed from the seeds of ''Prinsepia utilis'', a wild, edible oil shrub that grows in the higher Himalayas. Used medicinally in Nepal.
* Sacha inchi oil, from the Peruvian Amazon Rainforest, Amazon. High in behenic acid, behenic, omega-3
Omega−3 fatty acids, also called Omega-3 oils, ω−3 fatty acids or ''n''−3 fatty acids, are polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) characterized by the presence of a double bond, three atoms away from the terminal methyl group in their chem ...
and omega-6 fatty acid
Omega-6 fatty acids (also referred to as ω-6 fatty acids or ''n''-6 fatty acids) are a family of polyunsaturated fatty acids that have in common a final carbon-carbon double bond in the ''n''-6 position, that is, the sixth bond, counting from ...
s.
* Sapote oil, used as a cooking oil in Guatemala.
* Seje oil, from the seeds of ''Jessenia bataua''. Used in South America as an edible oil, similar to olive oil, as well as for soap
Soap is a salt of a fatty acid used in a variety of cleansing and lubricating products. In a domestic setting, soaps are surfactants usually used for washing, bathing, and other types of housekeeping. In industrial settings, soaps are use ...
s and in the cosmetics
Cosmetics are constituted mixtures of chemical compounds derived from either natural sources, or synthetically created ones. Cosmetics have various purposes. Those designed for personal care and skin care can be used to cleanse or protect ...
industry.
* Shea butter, much of which is produced by, African women. Used primarily in skin care products and as a substitute for cocoa butter
Cocoa butter, also called theobroma oil, is a pale-yellow, edible fat extracted from the cocoa bean. It is used to make chocolate, as well as some ointments, toiletries, and pharmaceuticals. Cocoa butter has a cocoa flavor and aroma. Its mel ...
in confections and cosmetics
Cosmetics are constituted mixtures of chemical compounds derived from either natural sources, or synthetically created ones. Cosmetics have various purposes. Those designed for personal care and skin care can be used to cleanse or protect ...
.
* Taramira oil, from the seeds of the arugula (''Eruca sativa''), grown in West Asia and Northern India. Used as a (pungent) edible oil after aging to remove acridity.
* Tea seed oil (Camellia oil), widely used in southern China as a cooking oil. Also used in making soaps, Hair care#Hair products, hair oils and a variety of other products.
* Thistle oil, pressed from the seeds of ''Silybum marianum''.[, p. 22] A good potential source of special fatty acid
In chemistry, particularly in biochemistry, a fatty acid is a carboxylic acid with an aliphatic chain, which is either saturated or unsaturated. Most naturally occurring fatty acids have an unbranched chain of an even number of carbon atoms, ...
s, carotenoids, tocopherols, phenol compounds and natural anti-oxidants, as well as for generally improving the nutritional value of foods.
* Cyperus esculentus#Use as oil, Tigernut oil (or nut-sedge oil) is pressed from the tuber of ''Cyperus esculentus''. It has properties similar to soybean, sunflower and rapeseed oils. It is used in cooking and making soap and has potential as a biodiesel fuel.
* Tobacco seed oil, from the seeds of ''Nicotiana tabacum'' and other ''Nicotiana'' species. Edible if purified.
* Tomato seed oil is a potentially valuable by-product, as a cooking oil, from the waste seeds generated from processing tomatoes.
* Wheat germ oil, used nutritionally and in cosmetic preparations, high in vitamin E
Vitamin E is a group of eight fat soluble compounds that include four tocopherols and four tocotrienols. Vitamin E deficiency, which is rare and usually due to an underlying problem with digesting dietary fat rather than from a diet low in vi ...
and octacosanol.
Oils used for biofuel
A number of oils are used for biofuel (biodiesel
Biodiesel is a form of diesel fuel derived from plants or animals and consisting of long-chain fatty acid esters. It is typically made by chemically reacting lipids such as animal fat ( tallow), soybean oil, or some other vegetable oil ...
and Vegetable oil used as fuel, Straight Vegetable Oil) in addition to having other uses. Other oils are used only as biofuel.[Ethanol and, to a lesser degree, methanol and butanol are the other major types of biofuel.]
Although diesel engines were invented, in part, with vegetable fats and oils, vegetable oil in mind, diesel fuel is almost exclusively petroleum
Petroleum, also known as crude oil, or simply oil, is a naturally occurring yellowish-black liquid mixture of mainly hydrocarbons, and is found in geological formations. The name ''petroleum'' covers both naturally occurring unprocessed crud ...
-based. Vegetable oils are evaluated for use as a biofuel based on:
# Suitability as a fuel, based on flash point, energy content, viscosity, fire, combustion products and other factors
# Cost, based in part on Crop yield, yield, effort required to grow and harvest, and Post-harvest handling, post-harvest processing cost
Multipurpose oils also used as biofuel
The oils listed immediately below are all (primarily) used for other purposes all but tung oil are edible but have been considered for use as biofuel.
* Castor oil, lower cost than many candidates. Kinematic viscosity may be an issue.
* Coconut oil (copra oil), promising for local use in places that produce coconuts.
* Colza oil, from ''Brassica rapa, var. oleifera'' (turnip) is closely related to rapeseed oil, rapeseed (or canola) oil. It is a major source of biodiesel in Germany.
* Corn oil, appealing because of the abundance of maize as a crop.
* Cottonseed oil
Cottonseed oil is cooking oil from the seeds of cotton plants of various species, mainly '' Gossypium hirsutum'' and ''Gossypium herbaceum'', that are grown for cotton fiber, animal feed, and oil.
Cotton seed has a similar structure to other oi ...
, the subject of study for cost-effectiveness as a biodiesel feedstock.
* False flax oil, from ''Camelina sativa
''Camelina sativa'' is a flowering plant in the family Brassicaceae and is usually known in English as camelina, gold-of-pleasure, or false flax, also occasionally wild flax, linseed dodder, German sesame, and Siberian oilseed. It is native to E ...
'', used in Europe in oil lamp
An oil lamp is a lamp used to produce light continuously for a period of time using an oil-based fuel source. The use of oil lamps began thousands of years ago and continues to this day, although their use is less common in modern times. Th ...
s until the 18th century.
* Hemp oil
Hemp oil (hemp seed oil) is oil obtained by pressing hemp seeds. Cold pressed, unrefined hemp oil is dark to clear light green in color, with a nutty flavor. The darker the color, the grassier the flavour. It should not be confused with hash o ...
, relatively low in emissions. Production is problematic in some countries because of its association with Cannabis (drug), marijuana.
* Mustard oil, shown to be comparable to Canola, Canola oil as a biofuel.
* Palm oil, very popular for biofuel, but the environmental impact from growing large quantities of oil palms has recently called the use of palm oil into question.
* Peanut oil
Peanut oil, also known as groundnut oil or arachis oil, is a vegetable oil derived from peanuts. The oil usually has a mild or neutral flavor but, if made with roasted peanuts, has a stronger peanut flavor and aroma. It is often used in America ...
, used in one of the first demonstrations of the Diesel engine in 1900.
* Radish#Industry, Radish oil. Wild radish contains up to 48% oil, making it appealing as a fuel.
* Rapeseed, Rapeseed oil, the most common base oil used in Europe in biodiesel production.
* Ramtil oil, used for lighting in India.
* Rice bran oil, appealing because of lower cost than many other vegetable oils. Widely grown in Asia.
* Safflower oil
Safflower (''Carthamus tinctorius'') is a highly branched, herbaceous, thistle-like annual plant in the family Asteraceae. It is commercially cultivated for vegetable oil extracted from the seeds and was used by the early Spanish colonies along ...
, explored recently as a biofuel in Montana.
* Salicornia oil, from the seeds of ''Salicornia, Salicornia bigelovii'', a halophyte (salt-loving plant) native plant, native to Mexico.
* Soybean, Soybean oil, not economical as a fuel crop, but appealing as a byproduct of soybean crops for other uses.
* Sunflower oil, suitable as a fuel, but not necessarily cost effective.
* Cyperus esculentus#Use as oil, Tigernut oil has been described by researchers in China as having "great potential as a biodiesel fuel."
* Tung oil, referenced in several lists of vegetable oils that are suitable for biodiesel. Several factories in China produce biodiesel from tung oil.
Inedible oils used only or primarily as biofuel
These oils are extracted from plants that are cultivated solely for producing oil-based biofuel.[There are some plants that yield a commercial vegetable oil, that are also used to make other sorts of biofuel. Eucalyptus, for example, has been explored as a means of biomass for producing ethanol. These plants are not listed here.] These, plus the List of vegetable oils#Major oils, major oils described above, have received much more attention as fuel oils than other plant oils.
* Copaiba, an Resin, oleoresin tapped from species of genus ''Copaifera''. Used in Brazil
Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...
as a cosmetic product and a major source of biodiesel
Biodiesel is a form of diesel fuel derived from plants or animals and consisting of long-chain fatty acid esters. It is typically made by chemically reacting lipids such as animal fat ( tallow), soybean oil, or some other vegetable oil ...
.
* Jatropha oil, widely used in India as a fuel oil. Has attracted strong proponents for use as a biofuel.
* Jojoba oil, from the ''Jojoba, Simmondsia chinensis'', a desert shrub.
* Euphorbia tirucalli, Milk bush, popularized by chemist Melvin Calvin in the 1950s. Researched in the 1980s by Petrobras, the Brazil
Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...
ian national petroleum company.
* Nahor oil, pressed from the kernels of ''Mesua ferrea'', is used in India as a lamp oil.
* Simarouba glauca, Paradise oil, from the seeds of ''Simarouba glauca'', has received interest in India as a feed stock for biodiesel.
* Petroleum nut oil, from the Petroleum nut (''Pittosporum resiniferum'') native to the Philippines. The Philippine government once explored the use of the petroleum nut as a biofuel.
* Pongamia oil (also known as Honge oil), extracted from ''Millettia pinnata'' and pioneered as a biofuel by Udipi Shrinivasa in Bangalore, India.
Drying oils
Drying oils are vegetable fats and oils, vegetable oils that dry to a hard finish at normal room temperature. Such oils are used as the basis of oil paint
Oil paint is a type of slow-drying paint that consists of particles of pigment suspended in a drying oil, commonly linseed oil. The viscosity of the paint may be modified by the addition of a solvent such as turpentine or white spirit, and va ...
s, and in other paint and wood finishing applications. In addition to the oils listed here, walnut oil, walnut, sunflower oil, sunflower and safflower, safflower oil are also considered to be drying oils.
* Dammar oil, from the ''Canarium strictum'', used in paint as an oil drying agent. Can also be used as a lamp oil.
* Linseed oil's properties as a polymer make it highly suitable for wood finishing, for use in oil paints, as a plasticizer and hardener in putty and in making linoleum. When used in food or medicinally, linseed oil is called flaxseed oil.
* Poppyseed oil, similar in usage to linseed oil but with better color stability.
* Stillingia oil (also called ''Chinese vegetable tallow oil''), obtained by solvent from the seeds of ''Chinese tallow, Sapium sebiferum''. Used as a drying oil, drying agent in paints and varnishes.
* Tung oil, used as an industrial lubricant and highly effective drying agent. Also used as a substitute for linseed oil.
* Vernolic acid, Vernonia oil is produced from the seeds of the ''Vernonia galamensis''. It is composed of 73–80% vernolic acid, which can be used to make epoxy, epoxies for manufacturing adhesives, varnishes and paints, and industrial coatings.
Other oils
A number of pressed vegetable oils are either not edible, or not used as an edible oil.
* Amur cork tree fruit oil, pressed from the fruit of the ''Phellodendron amurense''. It has been studied for insecticide, insecticidal use.
* Artichoke oil, extracted from the seeds of the artichoke fruit, is an unsaturated semi-drying oil with potential applications in making soap
Soap is a salt of a fatty acid used in a variety of cleansing and lubricating products. In a domestic setting, soaps are surfactants usually used for washing, bathing, and other types of housekeeping. In industrial settings, soaps are use ...
, shampoo, alkyd resin and shoe polish.
* Astrocaryum murumuru butter is employed in lotions, creams, soaps hair conditioners, facial masks, shampoo, oils and emulsions, skin moisturizer, products for the nutrition of the hair and restore damaged hair, depilatory waxes.
* Balanos oil, pressed from the seeds of ''Balanites aegyptiaca'', was used in ancient Egypt as the base for perfumes.
* Bladderpod oil, pressed from the seeds of ''Physaria fendleri'', native to North America. Rich in lesquerolic acid, which is chemically similar to the ricinoleic acid found in castor oil. Many industrial uses. Possible substitute for castor oil as it requires much less moisture than castor oil plant, castor beans.
* Brucea javanica oil, extracted from the seeds of the ''Brucea javanica''. The oil has been shown to be effective in treating certain cancers.
* Burdock#Uses, Burdock oil (Bur oil) extracted from the root of the burdock. Used as an herbal remedy for scalp conditions.
* Buriti oil, extracted from the Mauritia flexuosa fruit, is high in carotenoids and monounsaturated fatty acids, and of consequent nutritional interest. It is also used in the cosmetics industry.
* Candlenut oil (Kukui nut oil), produced in Hawaii, Hawai'i, used primarily for skin care products.
* Carrot seed oil (pressed), from carrot seeds, used in skin care products.[Carrot seeds are also used to obtain an essential oil with quite different properties than carrot seed pressed oil.]
* Castor oil, with many industrial and medicinal uses. Castor oil plant, Castor beans are also a source of the toxin ricin.
* Chaulmoogra oil, from the seeds of ''Hydnocarpus wightiana'', used for many centuries, internally and externally, to treat leprosy. Also used to treat secondary syphilis, rheumatism, scrofula, and in Tuberculosis, phthisis.
* Crambe oil, extracted from the seeds of the ''Crambe abyssinica''. High in erucic acid, used as an industrial lubricant, a corrosion inhibitor, and as an ingredient in the manufacture of synthetic rubber.
* Croton oil (tiglium oil) is pressed from the seeds of ''Croton tiglium''. Highly toxic, it was formerly used as a drastic purgative.
* Cuphea oil, from a number of species of genre ''Cuphea''. Of interest as sources of medium chain triglyceride
A triglyceride (TG, triacylglycerol, TAG, or triacylglyceride) is an ester derived from glycerol and three fatty acids (from ''wikt:tri-#Prefix, tri-'' and ''glyceride'').
Triglycerides are the main constituents of body fat in humans and other ...
s.
* Cupuaçu butter is closely analogous to cocoa, and is used to make white chocolate.
* Honesty oil, from the seeds of ''Lunaria annua'', which contain 30–40% oil. The oil is particularly rich in long chain fatty acids, including erucic acid, erucic and nervonic acid, making it suitable for certain industrial purposes.
* Illipe butter, from the nuts of the ''Shorea stenoptera''. Similar to cocoa butter
Cocoa butter, also called theobroma oil, is a pale-yellow, edible fat extracted from the cocoa bean. It is used to make chocolate, as well as some ointments, toiletries, and pharmaceuticals. Cocoa butter has a cocoa flavor and aroma. Its mel ...
, but with a higher melting point. Used in cosmetics
Cosmetics are constituted mixtures of chemical compounds derived from either natural sources, or synthetically created ones. Cosmetics have various purposes. Those designed for personal care and skin care can be used to cleanse or protect ...
.
* Jojoba oil, used in cosmetics as an alternative to whale oil spermaceti.
* Mango oil, pressed from the stones of the mango fruit, is high in stearic acid, and can be used for making soap
Soap is a salt of a fatty acid used in a variety of cleansing and lubricating products. In a domestic setting, soaps are surfactants usually used for washing, bathing, and other types of housekeeping. In industrial settings, soaps are use ...
.
* Mowrah butter, from the seeds of the ''Madhuca latifolia'' and ''Madhuca longifolia'', both native to India. Crude Mowrah butter is used as a fat for spinning wool, for making candles and soap. The refined fat is used as an edible fat and vegetable ghee in India.
* Neem oil, from ''Azadirachta indica'', a brownish-green oil with a high sulfur content, used in cosmetics, for medicinal purposes, and as an insecticide.
* Ojon oil extracted from the nut of the American palm (''Elaeis oleifera''). Oil extracted from both the nut and husk is also used as an edible oil in Central America, Central and South America. Commercialized by a Canadian businessman in the 1990s.
* Passiflora edulis Passion fruit oil is extracted from the seeds and composed mainly of 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.
...
(62%) with smaller amounts of oleic acid (20%) and palmitic acid (7%). It has varied applications in cosmetics
Cosmetics are constituted mixtures of chemical compounds derived from either natural sources, or synthetically created ones. Cosmetics have various purposes. Those designed for personal care and skin care can be used to cleanse or protect ...
manufacturing and for uses as a human or animal food.
* Rose hip seed oil, used primarily in skin care products, particularly for aging or damaged skin.
* Rubber seed oil, pressed from the seeds of the Rubber tree (''Hevea brasiliensis''), has received attention as a potential use of what otherwise would be a waste product from making rubber. It has been explored as a drying oil in Nigeria, as a diesel fuel in India and as food for livestock in Cambodia and Vietnam.
* Sea buckthorn oil, derived from ''Hippophae rhamnoides'', produced in northern China, used primarily medicinally.
* Sea rocket seed oil, from the halophyte ''Cakile maritima'', native to north Africa, is high in erucic acid, and therefore has potential industrial applications.
* Snowball seed oil (Viburnum opulus, Viburnum oil), from ''Viburnum opulus'' seeds. High in tocopherol, carotenoides and Saturated fat, unsaturated fatty acid
In chemistry, particularly in biochemistry, a fatty acid is a carboxylic acid with an aliphatic chain, which is either saturated or unsaturated. Most naturally occurring fatty acids have an unbranched chain of an even number of carbon atoms, ...
s. Used medicinally.
* Tall oil, produced as a byproduct of Pulp (paper), wood pulp manufacture. A further byproduct called ''tall oil fatty acid'' (TOFA) is a cheap source of oleic acid.
* Tamanu oil, Tamanu or foraha oil from the ''Calophyllum, Calophyllum tacamahaca'', is important in Polynesian culture, and, although very expensive, is used for skin care.
* Tonka bean oil (Cumaru oil), popular ingredient in cologne, used medicinally in Brazil
Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...
.
* Tucumã butter is extracted from both the pulp and seed of the fruit of Astrocaryum vulgare, a South American oil palm. The pulp oil is used as a skin conditioner. The seed oil is sold for use as a cooking oil and for making soap due to its high lauric acid content.
* Ucuhuba seed oil, extracted from the seeds of ''Virola surinamensis'', is unusually high in myristic acid.
See also
* Carrier oil discusses the use of (pressed) vegetable oils, mixed with essential oils
* Fatty acid discusses the components of most vegetable fats and oils
* International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients explains naming conventions for oils used in cosmetics
Cosmetics are constituted mixtures of chemical compounds derived from either natural sources, or synthetically created ones. Cosmetics have various purposes. Those designed for personal care and skin care can be used to cleanse or protect ...
and soap
Soap is a salt of a fatty acid used in a variety of cleansing and lubricating products. In a domestic setting, soaps are surfactants usually used for washing, bathing, and other types of housekeeping. In industrial settings, soaps are use ...
s
* List of essential oils
Notes
References
Further reading
*
* An older version of this site was very helpful in making this list more comprehensive.
* Compiles useful information on vegetable oils from a number of sources.
* The site contains a large set of resources on castor oil and many other oils, particularly those used to make biodiesel
Biodiesel is a form of diesel fuel derived from plants or animals and consisting of long-chain fatty acid esters. It is typically made by chemically reacting lipids such as animal fat ( tallow), soybean oil, or some other vegetable oil ...
.
* List of about 300 plants that grow in India, and that yield oil. Also includes common names in Languages of India, languages spoken in India.
* Old reference with basic information on an unusually large variety of plant oils.
* Comprehensive information on cooking oils that are used for flavoring foods.
*
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Vegetable oils, *
Cooking fats
Chemistry-related lists, Vegetable oils
Lists of foods, Vegetable oils