Chromatographic analysis of fatty acid composition in differently sized seeds of castor accessions

The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between oil content and seed size in 32 castor accessions. The oil content and fatty acid composition were determined using the Soxhlet extraction method and capillary gas chromatography. The results indicated that the values of seed characteristics were very variable. The crude fat percentage among the accessions ranged from 36.62% to 49.19%. The content of ricinoleic acid was highest in all fatty acid compositions, from 82.3% to 88.6%. The other fatty acids appeared at a low content (less than 1%). Correlation analysis revealed that seed size was significantly positively correlated with 100-seed weight, the crude fat content and the ricinoleic acid content but showed negative correlation with the content of palmitic and arachidic acids. Hierarchical clustering of castor cultivars separated the 32 accessions into four independent clusters. The obtained results provide useful information for further research in breeding and utilization of castor oil.