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Amaranth oil

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: Plants

   A. cruentus, a source of grain amaranth
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   A. cruentus, a source of grain amaranth

   Amaranth oil is extracted from the seeds of two species of the genus
   Amaranthus - A. cruentus and A. hypochondriacus - that are called,
   collectively, grain amaranth. A manufacturer of this unique oil writes:

          The oil extracted from these plants contains mainly non-polar
          lipid compounds especially triglycerides with a high degree of
          unsaturation. Amaranth oil is a light to medium colored, clear
          liquid that is pourable at low temperatures, highly unsaturated
          with a delicate, agreeable aroma and taste, allowing greater
          usage versatility. It also provides an excellent resource for
          omega series fatty acids.

   The oil is valued for its ability to add temperature stability at both
   high and low temperatures. Commercial uses of amaranth oil include
   foods, cosmetics, shampoos and intermediates for manufacture of
   lubricants, pharmaceuticals, rubber chemicals, aromatics and surface
   active agents. As a food oil, amaranth oil has a delicate and agreeable
   taste. Berger et al, in a study of the cholesterol-lowering properties
   of amaranth grain and oil in hamsters, report that amaranth oil
   significantly reduced non-HDL cholesterol and raised HDL cholesterol,
   as well as lowering very low density lipoprotein cholesterol ( VLDL
   cholesterol) by 21-50%.

   Chemically, the major constituents of amaranth oil are:

           Fatty acid   Content
          Linoleic acid  46-50%
          Oleic acid     22-26%
          Palmitic acid  19-20%
          Squalene         5-6%
          Stearic acid       3%

   The melting point of amaranth oil is -27°C.

   The oil content of the actual amaranth grain ranges from 4.8 to 8.1%,
   which is relatively low compared to other sources of seed oil.
   Retrieved from " http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amaranth_oil"
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   with only minor checks and changes (see www.wikipedia.org for details
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