Seed oil of Sapindus saponaria L. (Sapindaceae) as potential C16 to C22 fatty acids resource

Vegetable seed oils have been objects of study as a raw material to produce biodiesel. Considering this, the oil extracted from the seed of Sapindus saponaria L., cultivated in Brazil, was investigated, concerning its chemical composition, aiming at the extraction of potential raw material for the production of biodiesel, for the first time. Seeds were collected at Maringá State University campus. The oil was extracted by means of Soxhlet method and characterized by Gas Chromatography, coupled with Mass Spectrometry (GCMS). The quantity of oil yielded was of 42.58%. The oil characterization allowed the identification and the quantification of seven fatty acids. From these, 57.60% were unsaturated and 42.40% were saturated. Oleic acid was the most abundant (52.45%) among them.