Palmitic acid almonds

The proximate composition of almond includes 50.6% lipid, 21.3% protein, 19.7% carbohydrate, 5.3% water, and 3.1% ash (w/w) (1). The most common method for producing almond oil is hexane extraction that affords high oil yields, however, cold pressing is another commercially used procedure for almond oil production (8). Shi et al. (8) assessed the fatty acid composition of almond oil oleic acid was major fatty acid present (68%), followed by hnoleic acid (25%), palmitic acid (4.7%), and small amounts (<2.3%) of palmitoleic, stearic, and ara-chidic acids (Table 1). Almond oil is also a rich source of a-tocopherol (around 390 mg/kg) and contains trace amounts of other tocopherol isomers as well as phyl-loquinone (70pg/kg) (1). Almond oil contains 2.6g/kg phytosterols, mainly p-sitosterol, with trace amounts of stigmasterol and campesterol (1). 

Almond oil consists chiefly of glycerides of oleic acid, with smaller amounts of linoleic and palmitic acids. The PhEur 2005 describes almond oil as the fatty oil obtained by cold expression from the ripe seeds of Prunus dulcis (Miller) DA Webb var. dulcis or Prunus dulcis (Miller) DA Webb var. amara (DC) Buchheim or a mixture of both varieties. A suitable antioxidant may be added. 

Olive oil PEG-6 esters Palm glyceride Palm glycerides Palmitic acid Pectin PEG-20 almond glycerides PEG-60 almond glycerides PEG-20 behenate PEG-6 caprylic/capric glycerides PEG-8 caprylic/capric glycerides PEG-3 castor oil PEG-5 castor oil PEG-8 castor oil PEG-9 castor oil PEG-10 castor oil PEG-15 castor oil PEG-20 castor oil PEG-26 castor oil PEG-30 castor oil PEG-33 castor oil... 

Othors. Triacylglycerols (triglycerides) (10) (70-72) make up a large part of the storage lipids in animal and plant cells. They are now receiving renewed attention as a candidate feedstock for the production of polymer resins. When liquid at room temperature they are called oils. Commercially important oils are produced from the seeds of soybeans, com (maize), cotton, sunflowers, flax (linseed), rape, castor beans, tung, palms, peanuts, olives, almonds, coconuts, and canola. Over 7.3 million metric tons of vegetable oils are produced in the United States each year, mainly from soybean, flax, and rapeseed. Soy oil alone accounts for 80% of the seed oils produced in the United States. Soy oil contains about 55% linoleic acid (11), 22% oleic acid (12) and 10% palmitic acid (13). 

The kernel itself contains a rich source of protein and a glyceride oil having chiefly the components fatty acids palmitic and oleic acids. In world production the % of cashew is comparable to that of hazel and almond nuts. Table 4 gives projected estimates of the world production of cashew from figures available in 1978-9 (ref. 172). 

Fatty oils and fat-like substances - Fats and oils are esters of glycerin and higher fatty adds. In pure form, oils (castor, sea-buckthom and others) are used as remedies or as solvents for pharmaceutical substances. Fatty oils are used in medicine to make ointments, liniments and emollients, and for skin care and therapeutic massage. Some oils have therapeutic action. For example castor oil is used as a puigative and sea-buckthom is used internally to treat stomach and duodenal ulcers and externally for skin bums. Plant waxes, sterols and other substances are fat-like substances. Some of them are used in medidnal preparations. Unsaturated fatty acids (oleic, linoleic, linolenic, palmitic and other acids) prevent development of atherosclerosis. They are contained in plant seeds (almond, sunflower, flax and others), and fruits (olives and sea-buckthom). 

The seed kernel of the chironji (Buchanania lanzan Anacardiaceae) a fruit found in India, Burma and Nepal contains 65.6% oil on a dry weight basis. The kernel oil is used as a substitute for olive and almond oils in India. The major fatty acids are oleic (63.2%), palmitic (33.8%) and stearic acid (2.0%) (Hemavathy and Prabhakar, 1988). 

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