Abstract

FLORES-VILLAMIL, Miguel Ángel et al. Wild plants of the center-north of Mexico with potential for oil production. Rev. Mex. Cienc. Agríc [online]. 2018, vol.9, n.7, pp.1363-1376.  Epub Sep 30, 2020. ISSN 2007-0934.  https://doi.org/10.29312/remexca.v9i7.1672.

Given the fluctuation of prices and the depletion of fossil fuels, as well as their negative effects on the environment, the development and use of biofuels represent a potentially viable alternative. However, the inputs currently used in the production of bioenergy are highly questioned for their energy sustainability. Due to this, the search for alternative sources from plants resistant to adverse climatic factors, high adaptation capacity, low input requirements and not competing with food is a priority. Considering the above, samplings were carried out in north-central Mexico to collect wild species, in order to determine their productive potential, the oil content of the seeds, and analyze the physical and chemical characteristics of the oil. Seeds of 19 plant species were collected. Agave sp., registered the highest seed productive potential with 24 305 kg ha-1; however, it has the limitation of having a long fruiting period and its oil content is low. Five of the collected seed species (Cucurbita ficifolia, Cucurbita foetidissima, Proboscidea louisianica, Jatropha dioica and Apodanthera undulata) reached oil contents greater than 30%. A. undulata could potentially produce up to 1 315 kg ha-1 of oil, which makes it as competitive as commercially available inputs. The physical and chemical characterization of the oils showed a wide variation, which allowed to identify oils with nutritional, bioenergetic and other potential uses.

Keywords : vegetable oil; bioenergetics; alternate energies; wild species.

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