Salicornia oil
Encyclopedia
Salicornia oil is a pressed oil, derived from the seeds of the Salicornia bigelovii
, a halophyte
(salt-loving plant) native
to Mexico
.
The use of salicornia as an oil crop has been championed by researcher Carl Hodges
, and was the subject of a 1991 New York Times article. More recently, Hodges and his team have continued their work in Mexico
, irrigating fields with sea water in farms near the Sea of Cortez. Salicornia seeds contain 30% oil by weight, compared to 17-20% for soybean
s. The oil itself contains 72% linoleic acid
, which is comparable to safflower oil.
Salicornia bigelovii
Salicornia bigelovii is a species of flowering plant in the amaranth family known by the common names dwarf saltwort and dwarf glasswort. It is native to coastal areas of the eastern and southern United States, as well as southern California and coastal Mexico. It is a plant of salt marshes, a...
, a halophyte
Halophyte
A halophyte is a plant that grows where it is affected by salinity in the root area or by salt spray, such as in saline semi-deserts, mangrove swamps, marshes and sloughs, and seashores. An example of a halophyte is the salt marsh grass Spartina alterniflora . Relatively few plant species are...
(salt-loving plant) native
Native plant
Native plant is a term to describe plants endemic or naturalized to a given area in geologic time.This includes plants that have developed, occur naturally, or existed for many years in an area...
to Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
.
The use of salicornia as an oil crop has been championed by researcher Carl Hodges
Carl Hodges
Carl N. Hodges is an American atmospheric physicist and founder of the Seawater foundation. He is the main driving force behind ideas of using sea canals to irrigate deserts....
, and was the subject of a 1991 New York Times article. More recently, Hodges and his team have continued their work in Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, irrigating fields with sea water in farms near the Sea of Cortez. Salicornia seeds contain 30% oil by weight, compared to 17-20% for soybean
Soybean
The soybean or soya bean is a species of legume native to East Asia, widely grown for its edible bean which has numerous uses...
s. The oil itself contains 72% linoleic acid
Linoleic acid
Linoleic acid is an unsaturated n-6 fatty acid. It is a colorless liquid at room temperature. In physiological literature, it has a lipid number of 18:2...
, which is comparable to safflower oil.