12 
Indian Forest Records. 
[VOL. IX. 
PART IV. 
THE FAT FROM THE SEEDS OF SHOREA ROBUSTA. 
Shorea robusta (Sal) is found along the foot of the Himalayas into 
Assam and in a belt in Central India. 
In the Central Provinces according to Mr. G. M. Townshend the 
seeds are available in large quantities and might be used as a source 
of fat, but elsewhere apparently the seed years are too irregular to 
give a constant supply of seed. 
‘ At the request of Mr. Townshend an examination of the fat present 
in the seeds of Shorea robusta has been made. 
On extraction the seeds were found to yield 16A per cent, of a 
fat which in its general properties resembled the fat known as Borneo 
tallow which is obtained from the kernels of S. stenoptera, aptera, 
compressa, falcifera, gysbertiana, etc. In view of the very low oil content 
of the seeds as compared with these other species, which in the case of S. 
stenoptera is stated to be 50 per cent., there would appear to be little 
likelihood of the seeds of S. robusta being of economic' value. 
Experimental. 
The fat was obtained on the removal of the solvent as a dark green 
solid which melted to a yellow oil. It had the following constants : — 
M. P. 26'5°, M. P. of fatty acids 51'5°, acid value II’O, saponification 
value 181, acetyl value nil, unsaponifiable matter 0'32 per cent., iodine 
value 36-02, Reichert-Meissl value 0-50. 
The crude fat (100 grammes) was hydrolysed with alcoholic potass- 
ium hydroxide solution and the mixture of acids thus obtained separated 
by means of the lead salts in the usual manner when 17 grammes of 
solid acids and 30 grammes of liquid acids residted. 
Identification of the solid acid. 
The crude solid acid which melted at 68-70° was esterified with 
methyl alcohol and the resulting ester distilled under diminished 
pressure (100mm.) when the whole passed over at about 258-260° 
(uncorr.). The distillate immediately crystallised and was found to 
melt at 38°. This melting was unchanged on recrystallisation from 
methyl alcohol. 
01065 gave 0 2988 CO. and 01231 H^O, C=76-5, H=12'8. 
C 19 H 38 O 2 requires 0=76-5, H=12'8 per cent. 
On hydrolysis the ester yielded pure stearic acid melting at 69-70° 
and no other solid acids could be detected. 
[ 106 ] 
