10 
Indian Forest Records. 
[VOL. IX. 
PART III. 
THE OIL FROM THE SEEDS OF MIMQSOPS ELENGI. 
Mimusops Elengi occurs as a scattered tree in the evergreen forests 
both wet and dry from the Central Provinces southwards. It also occurs 
in Burma in the evergreen forests especially in the Tenasserim circle. 
It is however nowhere very common. 
Locally the oil is obtained from the seeds by boiling them, after mac- 
eration, with water and skimming off the oil which rises to the surface. 
It is used externally as a remedy in rheumatism. 
The seeds of Mimusops Njave or Djave, which occur in West Africa, 
the Cameroons, Gaboon, and Nigeria yield 43-46 per cent, of a white fat 
which is solid at the ordinary temperature and which is used for 
culinary purposes. 
An investigation of the oil present in the seeds of M. Elengi has shown 
that it possesses quite different properties. The oil, a liquid at the ord- 
inary temperature, was obtained by extraction and was only present 
in the seeds to the extent of 16 per cent. The seeds therefore have no 
economic value. 
Experimental. 
The oil obtained by extraction with light petroleum had the 
30° 
following constants : — 0-9113, 1-4655, acid value 2-2, saponifi- 
cation value 188, acetyl value 12*0, unsaponifiable matter 1-3, i odino 
value 82-2, titre test 24-5. 
On hydrolysis of 100 grammes of the oil 18 grammes of solid acids 
and 52 grammes of liquid acids were obtained. 
Identification 'of the Solid Acids. 
The solid acid separated from the insoluble lead salt was dissolved 
in alcohol and fractionally precipitated with magnesium acetate 
when the following fractions were obtained : — • 
Fraction. 
Yield. 
M. P. {crude acid). 
M. P. {recryslallised 
a c id). 
Equivalent. 
I 
1-8 grammes 
69-70° 
73-74° 
329 
II 
2-0 
69-70° 
70° 
293 
III . 
2-0 
69-70° 
70° 
288 
IV . 
1-9 
69-70° 
70° 
280 
V 
2-0 
60-61° 
62-65° 
276 
VI . 
2-2 
60-61° 
62° 
262 
VII . 
20 
60-61° 
62° 
254 
VIII 
2-0 
60-61° 
62° 
258 
[ 104 ] 
