THE COMPOSITION OF CASHEW-NUT OIL 



C. C. Cruz 



University of the Philippines 

 INTRODUCTION 



Cashew-nut oil, commonly called kasui in Manila, is obtained 

 from the seed of Anacardium occidentale, a small tree with a 

 trunk that is usually small and crooked. This species occurs in 

 the East and West Indies and was introduced into the Philip- 

 pines from America at an early date. It is widely distributed 

 in the Philippines and is cultivated in towns and on farms and 

 runs wild in old clearings. It has a large, yellow, pear-shaped 

 fruit, with a kidney-shaped seed attached to one end. Both the 

 fruit and the seed are edible, the fruit raw and the kernel raw 

 or roasted. The roasted kernels are used to make a very savory 

 nut candy. 



According to Watt x two oils are obtained from the seeds of 

 Anacardium occidentale. 



The pressed kernels yield an oil, the finest quality of which 

 is equal to almond oil ; and the shell of the nut yields an acrid 

 fluid, called "cardol" which is efficacious for protecting carved 

 wood, books, etc., against white ants. Cashew-nut oil obtained 

 from the pressed kernels is an edible oil which has a somewhat 

 sweet taste and yellow color. The keeping quality of the oil is 

 very good, as shown by the fact that a sample stored for five 

 months had no rancid taste or odor, and the acid value was only 

 1.45. 



Lewkowitsch 2 states that the yield of oil from the kernels 

 is 47.2 per cent; but he gives no data concerning the composi- 

 tion of the oil. 



