Biochemical Studies on palm Fruits And Its Oils

The oil palm is the next to the coconut palm in importance as a source of fat for the world. It is native to to west africa and therefore iscalled the African oil palm. The best soils for the trees are well drained loams or light clays located in flat coastal lands or inland alluvial plains up to 1000 feet in altitude. A climate free from prolonged cold spells are desirable for cultivation. The natural habitate of the oil palm is the west coast of Africa in the region between 12º south to 16º north Latitude. It grows principally in a 300-mile wide belt along the coast but can be found also in some parts of central Africa and in East Africa. In this mauscript, an attempt was carried out to study the physical and chemical properties of the two oils obtained from the fruits fractions of oil palm trees. The chemical composition of the oils as fatty acids, unsapoified matter and lipid classes were studied . Also, a try was carried to study the materials responsible for the flavour which is simaler to that of coconut oil.