204 III. CHEMISTRY OF NEUTRAL FATS 



Gramineae seed oils as barley, ^^^ corn,^^^"^^! rice, 222 rye,^^' and wheat^^* 

 likewise contain the higher proportion of saturated fats. 



Special saturated acids are found in specific fats. Plants of the laurel 

 family (Lauraceae), such as cinnamon-^^ and laurel, ^^^'^-^ have a large 

 proportion of lauric acid, while the Myristicaceae (nutmeg) ^'^^ as well as 

 Irvingia harteri^^'^ (Dika nut) yield oils which contain considerable amounts 

 of myristic acid. The Palmae are characterized by their high content of 

 both lauric and myristic acids as well as of several saturated shorter chain 

 acids (capric and caprylic). Coconut and palm oils are included in this 

 group. The data on the composition of a number of the fats listed above 

 are included in Table 13. 



(d) Fats Containing Large Amounts of Stearic Acid. Most vegetable 

 fats are characterized by their low stearic acid content, while animal fats, 

 almost invariably, are relatively rich in this component. However, a 

 number of varieties of tropical plants are largely devoid of linoleic acid and 

 contain a considerable proportion of stearic acid in its place. Kokum but- 

 ter and Njatno tallow contain 56.4 and 57.5% of stearic acid, respectively, 

 while other representative fats in this group contain 30 to 50% of this satu- 

 rated acid. The fats with the greatest proportion of stearic and oleic 

 acids belong to the genera Guttiferae and Sapotaceae. Some of the more 

 common fats in this group are included in Table 14. 



(e) Fats Containing Definite Amounts of the Saturated C20-24 Acids. The 

 long-chain saturated acids, arachidic, behenic, and lignoceric, are found in 

 the seed fats classed under the families Leguminosae and Sapindaceae. 

 Arachidic acid, although named after the peanut (arachis nut), is found to 

 the greatest extent in kusum oil.^^^ The total C20-24 saturated acids in 

 peanut oiP^-^^^"^^^ amount to only 5-7%. It is interesting that palmi- 



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