The genus Thapsia as a source of petroselinic acid

We describe the results from the isolation and structural identification of the acylglycerol constituents of fruits from wild plants belonging to diff erent species of Thapsia (Apiaceae). The isolated lipid fractions were anal yzed and characterized by chemical, chromatographic, and spectroscopic mean s. In particular, C-13 nuclear magnetic resonance data allowed the identifi cation of petroselinic acid as the major fatty acid esterified to glycerol in the fruit oils from all the plant samples. This was also confirmed by ga s chromatography (GC) and GC-mass spectrometry analyses of fatty acid methy l and butyl esters derivatives from Thapsia oil. The genus Thapsia should b e regarded as a useful source for the extraction of petroselinic acid, whic h represents an important oleochemical raw material.