SEED OILS 111 



13.5 parts, albuminoids, 17.67 parts; starch, 41.4 parts; fatty matter, 



17.1 parts; fibre, 7.8 parts; ash, 2.6 parts. 



Physical and chemical characteristics of Pithecolobium dulce — 



Fat: Specific gravity (d 100/100) = 0.9106; (d 100/15) = 0.8756. 



Acid value, 63.9. Saponification value, 205.9. Reichert-Meissl value, 8.41. 



Titration no. of insol. vol. acids, 1/10 KOH, 0.34. Iodine value, 56.60. 



Unsaponifiable matter per cent, 1.17. Butyro-refractometer at 25° C. 



"Degrees," 69.5; at 40° C, 62.0. 



Fatty acids: Per cent, 87.64. Melting point, 44.7° C. Iodine value, 



57.59; neutralization value, 198.7. Mean molecular weight, 282,2. 



Genus PONGAMIA 

 PONGAMIA PINNATA (P. mitis) (Linn.) Merr. (Fig. 39). Bani. 



Local names: Balohalo (Zamboanga, Basilan) ; balik-balik (Tagalog) ; 

 baluk-baluk, balutbalut, magit (Cotabato) ; baobao (Agnsan) ; bani (Pan- 

 gasinan, Zambales, Pampanga, Bataan, Cotabato) ; kadei (Tayabas) ; ma- 

 rokbarok (Bikol) ; salingkugi (Zamboanga). 



PONGAM OIL 



The seeds of this tree yield a red-brown, thick oil known as 

 pongam oil. It is employed for illuminating and medicinal pur- 

 poses and should also be useful for the manufacture of soap and 

 candles. According to Lewkowitsch * the oil has the following 

 constants : 



Specific gravity at 40° 0.9352 



Saponification value 178.0 



Iodine value 94.0 



Refraction index at 40° (butyro refractometer 



degrees) 78.0 



Concerning this oil Watt f says : 



According to Lepine {Pharm. Journ. {3) XL., 16), the seeds yield 27 

 per cent of a yellow oil, having a sp. gr. of 0.945 and solidifying at 8°C. 

 It has been examined by the authors of the Pharmacographia Indica, who 

 write: "The oil which we have examined (called Houge oil in Mysore), 

 and expressed purposely from fresh seeds, was thick, of a light orange- 

 brown colour, and bitter taste. The sp. gr. at 18°C was 0.9458. It yielded 

 93.3 per cent of fatty acids melting at about 30°. With sulphuric acid 

 it became yellow with orange streaks, and when stirred formed an orange- 

 red mixture, which, after standing, became yellow. With nitric acid it 

 formed an orange emulsion. With the elaidin test it remained liquid for 

 several hours, and was of the colour and consistence of honey after two 

 days. The fresh oil deposits solid white fats if kept at the temperature 

 of 16° for a few weeks, and the clear oil then has the specific gravity of 

 0.935. The bitter principle of the oil appears to reside in a resin, and 

 not in an alkaloid as is the case with Margosa oil. 



Pongamia pinnata is a tree reaching a height of 15 meters 



* Lewkowitsch, J., Oils, fats, and waxes, Volume 2 (1915), page 498. 

 t Watt, G., A dictionary of the economic products of India, Volume 6 

 (1892), page 323. 



