**Collection of Seeds:**
– Fruits collected manually by handpicking
– Tree branches shaken with long sticks to collect fallen fruits
– Fruits broken by sticks to separate seeds
– Seeds picked up by hand
– Separated seeds dried to reduce moisture content
**Properties of Oil:**
– Kokum oil light gray or yellowish in color
– After refining, kokum fat equivalent to vanaspati ghee
– Kokum oil contains 60-65% saturated fatty acid
– Triglyceride composition consists of up to 80% SOS triglycerides
– Melts on skin contact due to close slip melting point to human body temperature
**Uses:**
– Kokum butter non-greasy and absorbed into skin
– Used as substitute for cocoa butter
– Emollient properties with good oxidative stability
– Ideal for lipsticks, balms, bar soaps, and skin lotions
– Added for assisting emulsion integrity
**References:**
– SEA HandBook, The Solvent Extractors Association Of India, 2009
– Kokum Fat – Garcinia indica Fat, kokum fruit, cambogia garcinia, garcinia extract, Pioneerherbal.com
– Kokum Butter, Soapgoods.com
– Sap/Gum/etc.
Kokum oil is a seed oil derived from the seeds of the kokum tree (Garcinia indica; also known as wild mangosteen or red mangosteen). Kokum oil is edible and can also be used for things other than cooking.
Kokum fruits contain five to eight large seeds which account for 20-23% of the fruit's weight. The kernels account for 61 percent of the weight of the seed, while the oil content of the kernel accounts for about 44%. The seeds are compressed and embedded in an acidic pulp. The oil content of the seeds is 23-26%. The average yield of seeds for a tree is 10-15 kilograms. The fruits are collected for seeds from April to May. The kernels account for 60% of the fruit by weight. The oil content of a kernel is 41-42%. A kernel contains protein up to 17%.