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INVESTIGATING POSSIBILITY OF USING LEAST DESIRABLE EDIBLE OIL OF ERUCA SATIVA L., IN BIO DIESEL PRODUCTION

MOHAMMED H. CHAKRABARTI^* AND RAFIQ AHMAD^**

Abstract: Eruca sativa Miller of the family Brassicaceae is grown in West Asia and Indo-Pakistan as poor quality oilseed crop at marginal land under poor rainfall. Studies have shown that it is salt tolerant as well. When crushed for oil, glucosinolates in the seeds are hydrolyzed by myrosinase, yielding isothiocyanates which make the oil pungent. Due to its bitterness, the oil has almost negligible value in the food market. However, its fatty acid profile shows that it has the potential to be used as an alternative fuel for the transport sector. In the present study, its bio diesel was found possessing more or less similar storing, handling and combustion properties as bio diesel formed from edible oils of soya bean or canola.  In addition, due to lower sulphur content, its bio diesel is expected to be environment friendly in comparison to petroleum based diesel fuel.
 

^*Department of Environmental Engineering, NED University of Engineering and Technology, Karachi-75270, Pakistan.

^**Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, University of Karachi, Karachi-75270, Pakistan.