Composition Analysis of Fatty Acids and Phytosterols in Rubber Seed Oil from Yunnan

Crude and refined rubber seed oil (RSO) produced from Xishuangbanna, Yunnan Province was analyzed. After methylation and saponification, the contents of fatty acids and phytosterols were determined by gas chromatography and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Results showed that both the crude and refined RSOs contained high levels of unsaturated fatty acids and phytosterols. Four unsaturated fatty acid contents of 83.56% and 83.25% are found in both crude and refined RSOs, respectively. Six to seven types of phytosterols are found in both crude and refined RSOs. The contents of β-sitosterol are 12.13 and 11.22 mg/g in crude and refined RSO, respectively. This study provided fundamental instruction on the research, development, and utilization of RSO.