14 



BULLETIN 781, V. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



TOMATO-SEED OIL. 



While definite figures regarding the amount of tomato seed result- 

 ing from the commercial manufacture of tomato pulp and catsup 

 are not available, it has been estimated hj Rabak^ that approximately 

 1,500 tons of dry tomato' seeds could be obtained annually. Dried 

 tomato seeds contain approximately the same proportion of fixed oil 

 as such "well-known oil seeds as cotton seed, soy beans, etc. Tomato- 

 seed oil may be obtained by either extracting or pressing the tomato 

 seeds. When the seeds are subjected to the action of such solvents 

 as ether or carbon tetrachlorid, a pale greenish-yellow oil is extracted. 

 Expressed tomato-seed oil is of higher quality and usually requires 

 less refining, but a smaller yield is obtained. 



From a studj^ of the physical and chemical characteristics of 

 tomato-seed oil as compared with those of cottonseed, soy bean, 

 sesame, and corn oils, it appeared to Rabak ^ that tomato-seed oil 

 should be equally useful and applicable to the same purposes as 

 better-known oils of commerce. Accordingly, digestion experiments 

 were here conducted to determine the digestibility of a well-refined 

 tomato-seed oil prepared in the Bureau of Plant Industry labora- 

 tories. 



This oil, which was of a brownish-yellow color, possessed a slight 

 but quite distinctive odor and flavor. Both the odor and flavor were 

 very completely masked when the oil was incorporated in the usual 

 cornstarch blancmange. 



The results which were obtained in the three tests that were made 

 of tomato-seed oil are recorded in the tables which follow : 



Data of digestion experiments with tomato-seed oil in a simple mixed diet. 





Weight 

 of food. 



Constituents of foods. 



Experiment, subject, and diet. 



Water. 



Protein. 



Fat. 



Carbo- 

 hydrate. 



Ash. 



Experimeat No. 608, subject P. K.: 



Blancmange containing tomato-seed oil. . 



Grams. 



2,142.0 

 359.0 

 692.0 

 143.0 



Crravis. 



1,110.4 



32.3 



601.3 



Grams. 



38.8 



. 38.1 



5.5 



Grams. 



194.7 



5.4 



1.4 



Grams. 



704.3 



277.5 



80.3 



143.0 



Grams. 



93.8 



5 7 



Priiit 



3 5 



















3,336.0 

 79.0 



1,744.0 



82.4 

 26.1 



201.5 

 20.9 



1,205.1 

 23.3 



103 





8 7 











1 



56.3 

 68.3 



180.6 

 88.1 



93.3 



1,181.8 

 98.1 



94 3 







91 6 



Estimated digestibility of oil alone (per 





















Experiment No. 609, subject J. C. M.: 



Blancmange containing tomato-seed oil. . 



1,505.0 

 306.0 



1,030.0 

 103.0 



780.2 

 27.5 

 895.1 



27.2 



32.4 



8.2 



136.8 

 4.6 

 2.1 



494.9 



236.5 

 119.5 

 103.0 



65.9 

 5.0 



Fruit 



5.1 















Total food consumed . . 



2,944.0 

 91.0 



1,702.8 



67.8 

 28.9 



143.5 

 12.4 



953.9 

 41.0 



76.0 





8.7 









Amount utilized 







38.9 



1311 



912.9 



67.3 



» U. S. Dept. Agr. Bol. 632 (1917), pp. 15. 



