METROGLYPH ANALYSIS IN CUPHEA

Abstract

Cuphea species provide diverse type of medium chain fatty acids .obtained
from its seed oil. The oils have a wide range of industrial applications in the
manufacture of soap, detergents, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, surface coating
and lubricant. At present these fatty acids are commercially obtained from
coconut and palm kernel. Among the 200 species- of the genus Cuphea some
species are rich in lauric, capric and caprylic acids. Also capric acid is a
renewable source which is presently available only from petrochemicals
(Hirsinger, 1980; Graham et ai., 1981). Therefore, a need was felt to
screen/identify the germplasm and to evaluate the suitable types of fatty acids
by the metroglyph analysis.