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The fatty acid composition of the oil obtained from the edible seeds of some wild fruits and plants was determined by gas-liquid chromatography. The five samples investigated were Sclerocarya caffra, Bauhinia esculenta, Ricinodendron rautanenii, Trichilia emetica, and Adansonia digitata. Although the fatty acid contents of the five oils differ widely, the oils of Bauhinia esculenta, Ricinodendron rautanenii, and Adansonia digitata are good sources of linoleic acid. The oil of Sclerocarya caffra contains 70% oleic acid, while the oil of Trichilia emetica is the only one containing a small percentage of linolenic acid (1 % of the total acids). A significant amount of two unidentified fatty acids is present in the oil of Ricinodendron rautanenii.

Despite the fact that there is a tendency to rely more and more on foods which can be purchased at stores, the indigenous edible plants or veld foods play a significant role in the diet of the people living in the rural areas of the Transkei.Although more work is required to gather and prepare veld foods, they can be an important and inexpensive source of macronutrients -carbohydrates, fats and protein -and also micronutrients such as minerals and vitamins.Some of the more commonly-used plants such as Sonchus asper, Chenopodium album, Centella coriacea, Galinsoga parviflora, Urtica urens and Solanum nigrum are discussed and nutrient composition given. The names of a few plants which should rather be avoided, are also given.Many of these edible plants are also regarded as weeds and. instead of eradicating them, their cultivation should perhaps be encouraged. RÉSUMÉ PLANTES IN D IG Ê N E S IM P O RT ANTES AU TRANSKEI CO M M E SUPPLÉMENTS A LIM EN T A IRES Malgré le fait qu 'il y ait une tendance á dépendre de plus en plus des aliments pouvant être achetés dans les magasins, les plantes indigenes comestibles ou aliments du veld jouent un róle significatif dans ialimentation des populations qui vivent dans les regions rurales du Transkei. Bien que plus de travail soit requis pour ramasser et preparer ces aliments du veld, ils peuvent être une importante et peu coiiteuse source d'éléments macro-alimentaires, d 'hydrates de carbone, de graisses et de protéines mais aussi d 'éléments micro-alimentaires comme les minéraux et les vitamines. Certaines des plantes les plus communément utilisées telles que

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