Increasing the supply of biodiesel by defining and developing additional feedstocks is important to overcome the still limited amounts available of this alternative fuel. In this connection, the methyl esters of the seed oil of Gliricidia sepium were synthesized and the significant fuel‐related properties were determined. The fatty acid profile was also determined with saturated fatty acids comprising slightly more than 35 %, 16.5 % palmitic, 14.5 % stearic, as well as lesser amounts of even longer‐chain fatty acids. Linoleic acid is the most prominent acid at about 49 %. Corresponding to the high content of saturated fatty acid methyl esters, cold flow is the most problematic property as shown by a high cloud point of slightly >20 °C. Otherwise, the properties of G. sepium methyl esters are acceptable for biodiesel use when comparing them to specifications in biodiesel standards but the problematic cold flow properties would need to be observed. The 1H‐ and 13C‐NMR spectra of G. sepium methyl esters are reported.

A B S T R A C TThe phytoremediation potential of three bamboo species, i.e. Bambusa merilliana, Bambusa blumeana, and Dendrocalamus asper, were evaluated for their total Cu uptake ability in hydroponics. Dendrocalamus asper proved to be the most efficient in terms of Cu phytoremediating potential with a constant positive uptake of 80 μM in a contaminated substrate and a bioconcentration factor of 50.57. Copper accumulation was found to concentrate the most in the roots compared to the amount translocated in the shoots. Analysis of the Cu uptake of D. asper roots at varying concentrations of Cu contamination (40, 80 and 120 μM) allowed for the fitting of the kinetics of Cu uptake and removal with existing kinetic models. The rate of copper removal per mass of plant was the best for the 0 th order model in the 80 μM solution with an R 2 of 0.954 and rate constant of 3.136 mg-kg À1 d À1 . The accumulation of Cu within the roots on day 7 (7d) followed the Michaelis-Menten model with an R 2 of 0.970. The Michaelis-Menten constant (K M ) was 4.87 mg/L and maximum accumulation velocity (Vmax) was 66.26 mg Cukg À1 -day À1 . Results suggest that D. asper is a potential hyperaccumulator plant that can be used in clean-up of domestic and industrial wastes present along river systems in the Philippines.

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The fatty acid profiles of six seed oils of the Fabaceae (Leguminosae) family are reported and discussed. These are the seed oils of Centrosema pubescens, Clitoria ternatea, Crotalaria mucronata, Macroptilium lathyroides, Pachyrhizus erosus, and Senna alata. The most common fatty acid in the fatty acid profiles of these oils is linoleic acid with palmitic, stearic, oleic and linolenic acids usually completing the most prominent fatty acids in these species. Long‐chain saturated fatty acids were observed in all oils. Centrosema pubescens and Macroptilium lathyroides exhibited the greatest amounts of long‐chain saturated fatty acids exceeding the amount of stearic acid in these oils. C. pubescens exhibited slightly more that 6 % C24:0 together with some fatty acids >C25 and M. lathyroides approximately 4 % C22:0 and 3 % C24:0. The results are comparatively discussed to previous data on the fatty acid profiles of Fabaceae species.

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