Vernonia anthelmintica (L.) willd. Extraction of oil or trivernolin from the seed

Vernonia anthelmintica (L.). Willd. (ironweed) seed from Pakistan or India produced 22‐28% oil rich in trivernolin, the glyceride of 12,13‐epoxyoleic acid, when the highly active lipolytic enzyme was properly controlled. Trivernolin was obtained from the seed as a major end‐product without isolation of the oil from the extract in yields of 55‐60% of the wt of the oil present. Control of lipolysis was achieved, either by a rapid extraction technique where whole seed was flaked as a slurry made of seed and extracting solvent (petroleum naphtha, bp 35‐59C), or by autoclaving the seed prior to flaking or grinding. An improved quality oil was produced by removal of the major portion of the unsaponifiable material; this upgraded the oil by increasing the epoxy lipid content, decreasing the iodine value (I.V.) and reducing the amount of color and odor.