Composition of Zelkova seed oil

Summary Seeds of the treeZelkova serrata, familyUlmaceae, were found to contain 21.7% of glyceride oil having icdine value 12.9, saponification value 292, and glycerol yield 13.6%. The oil was converted to methyl esters and examined by gas chromatography, followed by fractional distillation of the esters and identification of the individual acids. The percentage composition of the acids is estimated as follows: caprylic 8, capric 73, lauric 3, myristic 1, palmitic 2, stearic 1, oleic 3, linoleic 3, undetermined 6. The content of capric acid is higher than has been found in any natural oil or fat. Comparing it with other genera ofUlmaceae, the oil ofZelkova is seen to resemble closely that ofUlmus sp. but to be quite different from the oils ofCeltis andTrema.