Jojoba oil (/həˈhoʊbə/ ⓘ) is the liquid produced in the seed of theSimmondsia chinensis (jojoba)[1] plant, ashrub, which is native to southernArizona, southernCalifornia, and northwesternMexico. Theoil makes up approximately 50% of the jojoba seed by weight.[2] The terms "jojoba oil" and "jojoba wax" are often used interchangeably because the wax visually appears to be a mobile oil, but as a wax it is composed almost entirely (~97%) of mono-esters of long-chain fatty acids(wax ester) and alcohols (isopropyl jojobate), accompanied by only a tiny fraction oftriglyceride esters. This composition accounts for its extreme shelf-life stability and extraordinary resistance to high temperatures, compared with true vegetable oils.
TheO'odham Native American tribe extracted the oil fromjojoba seeds to treat sores and wounds. The collection and processing of the seed from naturally occurring stands marked the beginning of jojoba domestication in the early 1970s.[2]
In 1943, natural resources of the U.S, including the jojoba oil, were used during war as additives to motor oil, transmission oil, and differential gear oil. Machine guns were lubricated and maintained with jojoba.[3]
Unrefined jojoba oil appears as a clear golden liquid atroom temperature with a slightly nutty odor. Refined jojoba oil is colorless and odorless. Themelting point of jojoba oil is approximately 10 °C (50 °F)[4] and theiodine value is approximately 80.[5] Jojoba oil is relatively shelf-stable when compared with other vegetable oils mainly because it contains fewtriglycerides, unlike most other vegetable oils such asgrape seed oil andcoconut oil.[6] It has an oxidative stability index of approximately 60,[7] which means that it is more shelf-stable thansafflower oil,canola oil,almond oil, orsqualene but less thancastor oil andcoconut oil.
| Freezing point | 7-10.6 °C[8][9] |
|---|---|
| Refractive index | 1.4650 at 25 °C[8] |
| Specific gravity | 0.863 at 25 °C[8] |
| Smoke point | 195 °C[9] |
| Flash point | 295 °C[8] |
| Iodine number | 82[8] |
| Viscosity | 48 SUS at 99 °C[9] 127 SUS at 37.8 °C[9] |
| Viscosity index | 190-230[10] |
| Fatty acid | Carbon atoms:double bonds | Position(s) of double bond | Percentage (mole fraction) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Palmitic acid | C16:0 | - | 0.3 |
| Palmitoleic acid | C16:1 | 9 | 0.3 |
| Stearic acid | C18:0 | - | 0.2 |
| Oleic acid | C18:1 | 9 | 9.3 |
| Arachidic acid | C20:0 | - | - |
| 11-Eicosenoic acid | C20:1 | 11 | 76.7 |
| Behenic acid | C22:0 | - | trace |
| Erucic acid | C22:1 | 13 | 12.1 |
| Lignoceric acid | C24:0 | - | 0.1 |
| Nervonic acid | C24:1 | 15 | 1.0 |
The fatty acid content of Jojoba oil can vary significantly depending on the soil and climate in which the plant is grown, as well as when it is harvested and how the oil is processed. In general, it contains a high proportion of mono-unsaturated fatty acids, primarily11-Eicosenoic acid (gondoic acid).
Being derived from a plant that is slow-growing and difficult to cultivate, jojoba oil is mainly used for small-scale applications such as pharmaceuticals and cosmetics.[12] Overall, it is used as a replacement forwhale oil and its derivatives, such ascetyl alcohol. The ban on importing whale oil to the U.S. in 1971 led to the discovery that jojoba oil is "in many regards superior tosperm whale oil for applications in the cosmetics and other industries".[2]
Jojoba oil is found as an additive in manycosmetic products, especially those marketed as being made from natural ingredients.[citation needed] In particular, such products commonly containing jojoba arelotions andmoisturizers, hairshampoos andconditioners.[citation needed]
Likeolestra, jojoba oil is edible but non-caloric and non-digestible, meaning the oil will pass out of the intestines unchanged and can mimicsteatorrhea—a health condition characterized by the inability to digest or absorb normal dietary fats. Thus, this indigestible oil is present in the stool, but does not indicate an intestinal disease. If consumption of jojoba oil is discontinued in a healthy person, the indigestible oil in the stool will disappear. Jojoba oil also contains approximately 12.1% of the fatty aciderucic acid that would appear to have toxic effects on the heart at high enough doses, if it were digestible.[13]
.jpg)
