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ARS Home » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #119100
Title: SYNTHESIS AND CHARACTERISTICS OF POLYHYDROXY TRIGLYCERIDES FROM MILKWEED OIL

Author
item Harry O Kuru, Rogers
item Holser, Ronald
item Abbott Dr, Thomas
item Weisleder, David

Submitted to: Industrial Crops and Products
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/11/2001
Publication Date: 11/27/2001
Citation: HARRY O KURU, R.E., HOLSER, R.A., ABBOTT DR, T.P., WEISLEDER, D. SYNTHESIS AND CHARACTERISTICS OF POLYHYDROXY TRIGLYCERIDES FROM MILKWEED OIL. INDUSTRIAL CROPS AND PRODUCTS. 2001.

Interpretive Summary: Milkweed is a new industrial crop because of the market demand for its floss in pillows and comforters. Milkweed seed is a by-product which was hitherto relegated to highway roadside beautification. Recently, work in this laboratory has found that the seed meal after oil removal is useful for controlling nematodes, a pest in potato, tomato and strawberry fields. But the oil has not yet found a market. In this work, therefore, we have modified the oil, giving it qualities that make it a value added base product for industry. This will improve the economics of the plant so the rural American farmer would benefit from milkweed as a crop rather than a nuisance needing expensive eradication.

Technical Abstract: The triglycerides of the common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) seed have been oxidized to the oxirane and polyhydroxyl derivatives by means of an in situ peroxy acid method. The resulting epoxy triglyceride exhibits high viscosity behavior, whereas the polyhydroxyl triglycerides show not only very high viscoelastic properties, a 50 wt % mixture of it in water forms unusually stable emulsions.