Green chemistry used for seed fat analysis
Dr. Seal is currently specializing in the extraction of fats from species of sustainable use, including the Cactaceae.
The Millennium Seed Bank is committed to enhancing the environmental management of its laboratory operations, reflecting a growing global enthusiasm for waste reduction by the application of ‘green chemistry’ techniques. Its scientists regularly review ways to reduce the environmental impact of their work and are applying new tests for seed fat diagnostics that have reduced the production of waste solvents.
Seed fats are now extracted with small quantities of supercritical fluid carbon dioxide using a ‘fat analyser’, rather than employing conventional methods of fat extraction with highly toxic organic solvents such as methanol and chloroform.
Vitellaria paradoxa
Knowing the precise oil content of seeds is important for estimating seed viability and longevity, which is a function of moisture content, oil content and species-specific viability constants. Seed oils also determine the nutritional and medicinal value of seeds. The Millennium Seed Bank is currently using the fat analyser to identify new oilseed species for sustainable use in Africa. One example is ‘shea butter’, the oil extracted from the seed Vitellaria paradoxa, which is used throughout Africa to protect and moisturise the skin.
(July 2007)