Available online at www.pelagiaresearchlibrary.com Pelagia Research Library Advances in Applied Science Research, 2016, 7(3): 151-154 ISSN: 0976-8610 CODEN (USA): AASRFC 151 Pelagia Research Library Physicochemical properties and phytochemical constituents of Semecarpus anacardium L. seed oil A. Srinivasan, D. Suresh Babu, N. Senthilkumar and S. Murugesan* Institute of Forest Genetics and Tree Breeding, Coimbatore-641002, India _____________________________________________________________________________________________ ABSTRACT The present study investigated the physicochemical properties and phytochemical constituents of seed oil of Semecarpus anacardium L. to understand its biopesticidal and therapeutic potential. Preliminary phytochemical studies showed the presence of polyphenolic compounds, flavonoids, tannins, saponins, steroids in seed oil which is extracted using various organic solvents such as n-hexane, petroleum ether, methanol and acetone. 34 to 44 percent of oil was extracted using the said solvents. Physicochemical properties such as saponification value, iodine value, peroxide value, acid value, viscosity, pH, relative density of seed oil of S. anacardium were determined. The results suggest that the seed oils of S. anacardium and their physicochemical properties and phytochemical constituents are found suitable to develop biopesticide formulation for the management of insect pests and fungi. Hence the seed oil of S. anacardium could be considered as an effective biopesticide. Key words: Phytochemical constituents, physicochemical properties, biopesticides, seed oil _____________________________________________________________________________________________ INTRODUCTION Plant derived medicines have been the part of traditional health care in most parts of the world for thousands of year. More than 80 percent of the population in developing countries depends on plants for their medical needs. In India, medical plants are widely used by all kinds of people either directly as folk remedies or in different indigenous medicinal plants and their therapeutic values. Semecarpus anacardium (SA) is a deciduous tree belonging to Anacardiaceae family and is growing in tropical and temperate regions of south East Asian countries. Its seed, commonly known as ‘marking nut’ is largely used in Indian traditional medicine ‘Ayurveda’ for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, gout and other inflammatory diseases, tumours, asthma, epilepsy, psoriasis and leprosy[1]. The fruit of this plant is traditionally used as a folk remedy in certain regions of India for the treatment of piles in non - bleeding conditions. In Ayurvedic, Unani and Siddha system of medicine, it is called as Bhallataka, Bhilavaa, and Sorankottai respectively. The parts generally used are detoxified nut and oil [2]. The nut of semecarpus shell contains semecarpuflavone, tetrahydrorobustaflavone, jeediflavone, gulluflavone and biflavonoids. Oil from nuts contains bhilavinol and the leaves contain amentoflavone as a sole biflavonoid [3]. Reported constituent of SA seeds are, anacardoside, in fruits are nicotinic acid, thiamine, leucine, riboflavin, histidine, isoleucine, lysine, methionene, pheynylanine, arginine, threonine, tryptophan, valine, in nuts are tetrahydroamentoflavone, 3,8- biliquiritigeninnn, nallaflavanone, oil are anacardiac acid, cardol and catechol biflanoids A, B, C, 3, 8- binaringenin [4-6]. The nut of the plant proved to have protective effect in aflatoxinB1 mediated hepatocellular carcinoma through induction of in vivo antioxidant defense system [7]. The fruits are carminative, astringent, acrid, bitter, emollient digestive, anathematic, purgative, liver tonic, expectorant, alternate aphrodisiac, anti arthritic, depurative. SA nuts are used in the Ayurveda and Siddha systems of medicine, with various therapeutic properties such as anti-