Abstract
Fourteen locally grown soybean varieties and their extracted crude oils were evaluated and analyzed for characteristics and compositions. Caribe, followed by SH‐1274 soybeans, were the best in terms of soundness and freedom from foreign material, while others were heat‐damaged to a different extent. The seeds of different varieties contained from 40.57 to 47.60% protein and from 15.84 to 21.35% oil, with Caribe soybeans being the highest in protein and the lowest in oil content. The ranges of the physicochemical characteristics of crude oils were as follows: specific gravity (25°), 0.9069‐0.9231; refractive index (25°), 1.4726‐1.4742; free fatty acid as oleic, 0.07‐0.32%; peroxide value, 1.90‐5.40 meg/kg; iodine value, 117.02‐124.97; saponification number, 187.13‐194.97; unsaponifiable matter, 0.55‐0.95%. Phosphorus, calcium, magnesium and iron were found as 149.8‐602.2, ≤ 1–18, 2‐24 and ≤1‐4 ppm, respectively. Gas liquid chromatography detected eight fatty acids (C14, 16, 18, 18:1, 18:2, 18:3, 20 and 22) present in crude oils. The level of each differed among varieties but remained within the usual ranges.