Vegetable Fats and Oils

Abstract

This encyclopaedia, which scientifically describes 121 fat vegetable oils, waxes and vegetable fats from all continents, was compiled at the Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry of the University of Vienna and at the Sigmund Freud University Vienna. The oils discussed in this reference book range from well-known and much-used oils such as olive oil, sunflower oil, corn oil and peanut oil to lesser-known oils like kiwi seed oil, tomato seed oil, capsicum seed oil and ootanga oil. Special attention was given to volatile compounds, aroma and the oils’ composition with regard to the fatty acid profile and sterol and tocopherol content. To make the description of qual- ity as exact and professional as possible, organoleptic tests were carried out by fla- vourists, flavour chemists and perfumers on many oils described in this book. This made it possible to describe the characteristics of oils that have not yet been ade- quately treated in literature. In addition to the characteristic properties of each oil, for example, its appearance, colour, contents, smell and flavour, there is also infor- mation on its uses and range of applications in pharmacy, medicine, cosmetics and technology and also, in some cases, on its use as an edible oil. Fat vegetable oils not only have positive effects; some of them also have unwanted side effects. These concomitant phenomena have also been taken into account. In the descriptions of the 121 fat vegetable oils, information on the source plant, its cultivation and the extraction of the oil has been included.