Long chain phenols: Part XI. Composition of natural cashew nutshell liquid (Anacardium occidentale) from various sources

Abstract

The composition of cashew nutsAnacardium occidentale from different terrestrial sources has been studied. Samples from Brazil, Ceylon, Kenya, Mozambique, Nigeria, and Tanzania have been solvent extracted to recover the phenolic shell liquid (natural CNSL) separate from the kernel oil. The recovered materials from the different sources were present from 23.6% to 27.7%. After hydrogenation of the side chains and methylation of the acidic groups, the component phenols anacardic acid (74.1% to 77.4%), cardol (15.0% to 20.1%), 2-methyl cardol (1.7% to 2.6%), and cardanol (1.2% to 9.2%) were determined by gas liquid chromatography on polyethyleneglycol adipate. The component phenols have been separated by adsorption thin layer chromatography, and their triene (AN-15∶3, 36.3% to 50.4%), diene (AN-15∶2, 17.8% to 32.1%), monoene (AN-15∶1, 25.0%, to 33.3%), and saturated (AN-15∶0, 2.2% to 3.0%) constituents determined by mass spectroscopy. The results of mass spectroscopic analysis have been confirmed by methylation of the separated component phenols and gas liquid chromatography. It is apparent that the largest variation is in the % cardanol (1.2% to 9.2%). While the total percentage of unsaturated constituents is quite similar, the distribution of triene, diene, and monoene varies widely.