IMOPORTANCE OF FIXED OILS

Fixed oils and fats are important products used pharmaceutically, industrially and nutritionally.
INDUSTRIALLY: -
Manufacturing of detergents, soaps, paints, and varnishes and as lubricant.
PHARMACEUTICALLY: -1. As vehicle = peanut oil, seasam oil is used as solvent in the preparation of certain I/ M injection.
2. As stimulant, cathartic, purgative e.g. castor oil.
3. As emollient for ointments, liniment creams and other preparations e.g. almond oil, coconut oil.
NUTRITIONALLY: -
Others like corn oil with its high contents of unsaturated fatty acids is suggested in diet instead of fixed oil or fats having high saturated fatty acids to reduce high blood cholesterol level.
OCCURRENCE: -
Vegetable oil and fats may occur in various parts of the plant but a general rule, seeds contain larger quantities of fats and oils than do other plant parts.
Seeds are the usual source of fixed oils. Few examples are cottonseed oil, linseed oil, sesame oil, hemp seed oil, coconut oil castor beans, almond etc.
Other plants parts also yield considerable amounts of fixed oil e.g. pericarp of the olive, in certain fungi e.g. ergot.
Fat is a characteristic food material from animal e.g. lard.