The seed sample was first characterized with respect to itsmoisture
and lipid contents. The hexane-extracted oilwas characterized
with respect to its fatty acid and tocopherol compositions. Table 1
compares the results obtained in the present study with those
obtained by Hamaker et al. [2], and the values for the oil content and
the fatty acid compositionswere in good agreement. Sacha inchi oil
is one of the richest sources of unsaturated fatty acids, with approximately
93% of the total, where the predominating fatty acid is
linolenic acid (-3), comprising approximately 50% of the total. The
results indicated that this oil was an important source of -3 fatty
acids and in this context, the Sacha inchi oil could be considered as
a raw material for the food and nutraceutical industries.