Abstract:
Karawila (Momordica charantia), also known
as bitter gourd, is widely used as a food and a medicine
in Asian countries. Representative samples of the seeds
of the most abundant cultivar (MC43) in Sri Lanka were
collected. The kernel represented 60 ± 4.7% of the seed
by dry weight basis. The oil content of the dry kernel
was 40.45 ± 3.12%. The seed oil was rich in a-eleosteric
acid (50.04 ± 4.80%) and three other geometrical
isomers of 9,11,13-octadecatrienoic acid that constituted
6.55%. The acid value, the saponification value and the
iodine value were 2.73 ± 0.876, 190.70 ± 1.82 mg/g and
115.96 ± 3.46 cg/g, respectively. The set-to-touch drying
time of 3 h observed for the seed oil of MC43 was
significantly less than that of linseed oil (13 h). The
presence of a high amount of conjugated octadecatrienoic
acids, low acid value, high saponification value,
moderate iodine value and the low set-to-touch drying
time are promising indicators of the potential of karawila
seed oil as a good drying oil for the paint and coating
industry.
