10 BULLETIN 632, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
USES AND VALUE OF THE OIL. 
Classifying fatty oils as drying, semidrying, and nondrying, to- 
mato-seed oil possibly falls into the semidrying class, bordering, 
however, very nearly on the nondrying class. In order that the na- 
ture of tomato-seed 011 may be better understood, a comparison is 
given in Table III of some of the more important properties of a 
number of oils of commerce belonging in the same class with tomato- 
seed oil (10, v. 2). 
TaBLE III.—Physical and chemical properties of tomato-seed oil and several 
important oils of commerce. 
bees yet Ce ge eis a er se ee ep 3) bee ee 


: 3 : F ‘ Index of 
: Specific gravity Congealing | Saponification P : 
Oils. at 15° C. point (°C). eed Todin value. refraction 
at 20°C. 
Tomato seed............- 0.9184 ¢.........| Turbid at —2; 188.6 114.2 61.4715 
pale yellow 
solid mass : 
at —10. 
Cotton seed, Lewko- | 0.922 to 0.930...) 3to4.......... 191 to 196.5} 100.9 to 116.9 1. 4722 
witsch (10, p. 149-150}. 
See adie aia 0.924 to 0.927 ..1°--45 fort 3... 1, 1902.6)60,192°9) |" 121-6 toA24 eee ease 
73423): 
Sesame, Lewkowitsch | 0.9203 to 0.9260..| — 4 to — 6....| 187.6 t0 194.6 | 103 to115 1. 4728 
(10, p. 173). 
Corn, Lewkowitsch (10, | 0.9213........... —10 to —20..-| 188 +t0193.4| 112 t0130.8 ¢1. 4768 
p. 131-132). 
a At 24°C. b At 25°C. CAPITIS 2 CF 
The similarity of tomato-seed oil to the commercial oils given in 
Table III indicates the classification of this oil. The oils mentioned 
in connection with tomato-seed oil are applied commercially in a 
number of ways. As edible oils they are highly prized. On account 
of their drying properties some are employed extensively in the 
manufacture of paints and varnishes, while others find important 
application as soap stock. 
Tomato-seed oil, with properties similar to cottonseed, soy-bean, 
sesame, and corn oils, should be equally useful and applicable to the 
same purposes as these oils of commerce. 
Experiments conducted with tomato-seed oil by Dr. A. D. Holmes, 
of the Office of Home Economics, U. 8. Department of Agriculture, 
to determine its digestibility, showed that the oil possesses a coeffi- 
cient of digestibility of 97, comparing favorably with olive, almond, 
cottonseed, peanut, coconut, sesame, walnut, and brazil-nut oils. 
Well-refined tomato-seed oil is therefore to be recommended for 
culinary purposes. As a salad oil it should prove very satisfactory. 
The edible quality of the oil suggests also its possible hs a 
and application as a margarine oil. 
An experiment to determine its saponifying properties was con- 
ducted in order to obtain information regarding its possible use 
as soap stock. By cold saponification with caustic soda and subse- 

