Safety evaluation of Simarouba glauca seed fat.

Simarouba glauca DC is a tree of the family Simaroubaceae, which grows well up to 1,000 m above sea level in all types of well-drained soils (pH 5.5 to 8.0) and in places with 250 to 2,500 mm annual rainfall. The seed oil has been extracted both by mechanical expelling and solvent extraction. The fatty acid composition and iodine value of the oil indicate that it possesses saturated (40.8-42.6%), monounsaturated (52.9-55.0%), and polyunsaturated (2.5-3.4%) fatty acid in ratios close to that of palm oil. These characteristics are suitable for its use as edible oil. Acute oral toxicity and safety evaluation in a 13-week feeding trial on albino rats showed that the oil is comparable to groundnut oil in all the parameters.