oil content and physicochemical characteristics of oils

m with a short bole and large branches. Its fruit is around 4 cm of diameter. The seeds are
surrounded with edible acid pulp (Katende et al., 1995). Its fruits are reported as food of
chimpanzees inhabiting the montane forest of Kahuzi, D.R. Congo and in Bwindi Impenetrable
National Park, Uganda (Basabose, 2002; Rothman et al., 2006). According to Cunningham (1996) in
Uganda the use of edible Myrianthus holstii fruits is generally limited to famine periods. Myrianthus
holstii has high prospects as new crop plant and has been proposed by FAO for planting and fruit
production (Naluswa, 1993). It seems no information on the oil of this plant has been reported.
2.4.8. Pentaclethra macrophylla Benth (Mimosaceae)
Common name in East of D.R. Congo: Lubala (Kirega), in English: Bean tree,
in Wolof (Senegal): ataa, atawa. It is a tree which grows to about 21 m in height. The pods are 40-
50 cm long and 5-10 cm wide. It has been cultivated in Nigeria since 1937 and for many years in
other West African countries where its seed is relished as a food (ICRAF, 2008). Naturally P.
macrophylla occurs from Senegal to Angola and also to the Islands of Principe and Sao Tome. Its
geographic distribution is Cameroon, Cote d'Ivoire, DR Congo, Ghana, Niger, Nigeria, and Togo.
The seed is a source of edible oil (ICRAF, 2008 and Neuwinger, 1996). Ikhuoria et al. (2008)
reported 47.90% oil content in seed and stated that processing the seeds for oil would be economical
and the oil has some domestic and industrial potentials. Linoleic acid was found as a major FA in
this plant, and two long-chain FAs not commonly found in plant oils were identified. These were
shown to be hexacosanoic (C26:0) and octacosanoic (C28:0) acids (Foma and Abdala, 1985; Jones
et al., 1987).
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