GLYCERIDE STRUCTURE OF SAPIUM SEBIFERUM SEED OIL

Sapium sebiferum seed oil is known to contain some tetraester triglycerides. The oil was separated by preparative thin-layer chromatography into normal triglycerides (76.9%) and estolide (23.1%) components which were each subjected to stereospecific analysis procedures. In the normal triglycerides, saturated and monoenoic fatty acids were in greatest abundance in the 1-position, while linoleic and linolenic acids (18:3ω3) were in greatest abundance in the 2- and 3-positions, respectively. The estolide fatty acids were entirely in the 3-position of the tetraester fraction. The fatty acid compositions of the 1- and 2-positions of the two components of the oil were very similar. © 1969.