Meadowfoam applications

Meadowfoam Limnanthes alba). This oil is unusual in that over 95% of its component acids are C20 or C22 compounds and include 5-20 1 (63-67%), 5-22 1 (2-4%), 13-22 1 (16-18%), and 5,13-22 2 (5-9%). It is being grown in the United States, and its potential uses are being thoroughly examined. Winter culti-vars now being developed are expected to improve the suitability of the crop to conditions in Northern Europe. Potential uses of this oil include cosmetic applications, production of dimer acid, as a lubricant, and via a wide range of novel derivatives based on reaction at the A5 double bond (134-138). 

T.A. Isbell, Developmeta of meadowfoam as an industrial crop through novel fatty acid derivatives, Lipid Technology, 1997, 9, 140-144. T.A. Isbell, Lipid Synthesis and Manufacture (ed. F.D. Gunstone) Sheffield Academic Press, Sheffield (1999) pp.401-421. E.C. Leonard, Sources and commercial applications of high-erucic vegetable oils. Lipid Technology, 1994, 6, 79-83. 

The erucic acid content of meadowfoam wild-type cultivars ranges from 8 to 24% (Gandhi et al., 2009). While oil containing erucic acid >3% is considered unfit for human consumption, the cosmetic and industrial applications of meadowfoam oil would most likely supersede its use for food. Nevertheless,... 

The wholesale price of meadowfoam oil described by Burden (2012) is as high as 33/kg. It is thus best suited for use in cosmetics and hair care products due to its stability and ability to act as a carrier for other oils. In this way, it is very similar to jojoba. Numerous applications for meadowfoam oil have been proposed, including use as a lubricant additive, source... 

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