A Half-yearly Peer Reviewed Journal of Bangladesh Forest Research Institute
Ruhiwr seed oil is a promising by-product of rubber plant (Htweit lirasi/iensts MuelL Arg.),
lias so far been unknown to the rubber growers of Bangladesh. A Laboratorv-based research
was madft on different aspects of rubber seed oil of fourselected clones (RRlM-fiOO, RRIM-605,
PB-255 and GT-1J grown in toe country. Results show that rubber seeds of the clones contain
2844% edible oil which is will be cheaper than soybean and palm oil, Gas Liquid
Chromatography (GLC) analysis shows that the seed oil contains 83-89% essential unsaturated
fatly acids and 17-22% saturated fatty acid. On the other hand, the seed-cakes contain 29-39%
proteins which is determined by the Macro KjeJdahl Procedure Can he used as animal feed.
Besides, die seed-cakes contain six minerals (N, P, K, Na, Ca and F:e), where percentages
ol N, P and K have been found lobe 5.5%, 2.8%, and 1.4% compared to those in ground nut
(7.1%, 1.3%, and 1,2%) and cotton seed (3.8, 1.1% and 1.4%). It has also been estimated that if
proper initiatives are taken, at least Tk. 49.32 crore could be earned per annum from toe seed
oil of the existing 37,64b ha plantations of the country. The seed oil and the deroiled seed-cakes
will not only create emptormerit opportunity and ffow of eionumic activities, but will also save
substantial amount of foreign exchange from importing other edible oils and the essential
ingredten Is o f anima I feed.