Fatty Acid Composition of Inedible Seeds as a Source of Bioenergy

Edible cultivated fruit trees and wild edible fruit trees have been considered important sources of human nutrition and health. Inedible fruits and their seeds, as non-timber forest products, are highly valuable natural sources for the production of bioenergy. Inedible seeds of seven tree species of the Western Ghats have been compared for fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs) as energy sources. Seeds of Albizia saman, Pongamia pinnata and Delonix regia are found to be suitable for the production of biodiesel based on their FAMEs content, total fatty acids and fatty acids with carbon chain lengths 16–18. The use of FAMEs from these seeds could be improved using alternate methods of total lipid extraction, modification of the quality of FAMEs and assessment of their essential oils. Development of ecofriendly energy parks and agroforests with these tree species offers a renewable source of energy against fossil fuels to meet future energy demand.