CHARACTERISTICS AND FATTY-ACID CONTENT OF THE FAT OF SEEDS OF 9 WILD MEXICAN PLANTS

The chemical composition of Mexican wild plants has been investigated from the nutritional point of view. The approach of this study was to select the samples with medium to high concentration of crude fat and determine the characteristics and fatty acid content of the fat. The range of the fat content in the seeds studied was 13.7-49.2%. Most of the fats isolated showed a high iodine number, except for two that belonged to the Theobroma genus. Linoleic acid was in high concentration in most of the seeds. Taking into consideration their characteristics and fatty acid content, these fats could be classified as edible fats for animal and human consumption. However, toxicological studies have to be done since these wild seeds have not been used as food before. © 1990, American Chemical Society. All rights reserved.