14 
BULLETIN 781, TJ. 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 by Rabak 1 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 study 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 1 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. 
Experiment No. 608, subject P. K.: 
Blancmange containing tomato-seed oil . . 
Grams. 
2,142.0 
359.0 
692.0 
143.0 
Grams. 
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 
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 
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 j 
Experiment No. 609, subject J. C. M.: 
Blancmange containing tomato-seed oil. . 
1.505.0 
306.0 
1,030.0 
103.0 
7S0.2 
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 
2,944.0 
91.0 
1, 702. 8 
67.8 
28.9 
143.5 
12.4 
953-9 
41.0 
76.0 
8.7 
38.9 
pp. 15. 
131.1 
912.9 
67.3 
i U. S. Dept. 
Agr. Bui. 
632 (1917) 
