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{{Short description|Oil from the Nagkesar tree (Mesua ferrea)}}
{{more citations needed|date=April 2019}}
[[File:Mesua ferrea.jpg|thumb|right|150px|Tree]]
[[File:Mesua ferrea flower.jpg|thumb|right|150px|Flower]]
[[File:Base of the Mesua ferrea flower having dropped most of the petals.jpg|thumb|right|150px|Fertilized flower]][[File:നാഗപ്പൂവു്.jpg|thumb|right|150px|Raw fruit]]
[[File:Mesua ferrea seeds - Kunming Botanical Garden - DSC03235.JPG|thumb|right|150px|Seeds]]
'''Nagkesar oil''' is extracted from seeds of the nagkesar tree (''[[Mesua ferrea]]'', [[Hindi language|Hindi]]: नागकेसर). It belongs to the [[Calophyllaceae]] family. It is an East Indian [[Evergreen|evergreen tree]] and is often planted as an [[Ornamental plant|ornamental]] for its fragrant white flowers that yield a [[perfume]]. It is the source of [[hardwood]] used for [[railroad ties]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thefreedictionary.com/ironwood+tree |title=ironwood tree - definition of ironwood tree by the Free Online Dictionary, Thesaurus and Encyclopedia |publisher=Thefreedictionary.com |access-date=2013-11-21}}</ref> It is Sri Lanka's national tree.<ref name="india"/>

== Etymology ==
The generic name is after J. Mesue (777–857) and the specific epithet is from Latin, meaning 'belonging to iron', in reference to its famed and very hard, durable timber.<ref name="agro" />

==Common names==
It is commonly known as Ceylon ironwood, cobra's saffron, Indian rose chestnut, ironwood tree, mesua, poached egg tree<ref name="india">{{cite web|url=http://www.flowersofindia.net/catalog/slides/Nag%20Kesar.html |title=Mesua ferrea - Nag Kesar |publisher=Flowersofindia.net |access-date=2013-11-21}}</ref>{{Unreliable source?|date=April 2019}}

===Common names in India===
*[[Hindi language|Hindi]]− नाग चम्पा (Nag champa, नागकेसर( Nagkesar )
*[[Urdu]]− नर्मिश्क, Narmishka
*[[Tamil language|Tamil]]− Tadinangu, நாகப்பூ( nagappu), நாகேசுரம் (nakecuram)
*[[Marathi language|Marathi]]− Thorlachampa, नागचंपा (nagchampa), नागकेशर (nagakeshara)
*[[Malayalam language|Malayalam]]− (Vainavu, ചുരുളി (churuli
*[[Assam]]− নোক্তে (Nokte ), নাহৰ (Nahor), নাগেশ্বৰ (Nageshwar)
*[[Meitei language|Meitei]]− নাগেসৰ (Nageshor )
*[[Telugu language|Telugu]]−నాగకేసరము (nagakesaramu)
*[[Sanskrit]] नागकेशर (nagakesarah), नागपुष्प( nagapuspah)
*[[Kannada language|Kannada]]− ನಾಗ ಕೇಸರಿ( nagakesari), ನಾಗ ಸಮ್ಪಿಗೆ (nagasampige)
*[[Bengali language|Bengali]]− নাগকেশর (nagkesar, পুন্নাগ (punnaga)
*[[Gujarati language|Gujarati]]− નાગચંપા( nagachampa)
*[[Kashmiri language|Kashmiri]]− नागकेसर (nagkesarah)

===Common name in other countries===
*English− Ceylon ironwood, Cobra's saffron, Indian rose-chestnut, Iron-wood tree, Sembawang tree (Singapore)
*Italian− Croco di cobra
*German− Nagassamen
*Arabic− Narae-kaisar
*Russian− Indiiskoe zheleznoe derevo, Mezua zheleznaia, Mezuia zheleznaia, Nagakeshara (from Hindi), Zheleznoe derevo.
*Burmese− Gungen, Kenga
*Chinese- : Tie li mu, (Taiwan)
*Japanese− Tagayasan
*Thai- : Bhra na kaw, Bunnak (Boon naak), Ka ko (Karen), Gaa gaaw, Gam gaaw, Kam ko (Shan), Saan phee daawy, Saraphi doi (Chiang Mai)

==Habitat==
''M. ferrea'' reaches up to {{Convert|100|ft}} height.The tree is native to [[Sri Lanka]], [[India]], southern Nepal, [[Burma]], [[Thailand]], Indochina, the [[Philippines]], [[Malaysia]] and [[Sumatra]], where it grows in evergreen forests, especially in river valleys. In the Himalayas and India the tree can grow at altitudes up to {{convert|1500|m|ft|sigfig=2|abbr=on}} and in Sri Lanka up to {{convert|1000|m|ft|sigfig=2|abbr=on}}.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.frim.gov.my/?page_id=9142 |title=Mesua ferrea: Useful and graceful tree | Forest Research Institute Malaysia |website=www.frim.gov.my |access-date=2 February 2022 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20131109030020/http://www.frim.gov.my/?page_id=9142 |archive-date=9 November 2013 |url-status=dead}}</ref> It is the only [[ironwood]] forest in the dry zone with wet zone vegetation.

==Morphology==

===Tree===
''M. ferrea'' is a small to medium-size [[evergreen]] It grows up to {{convert|13|m|ft|0|abbr=on}} tall, often buttressed at the base with a [[Trunk (botany)|trunk]] up to {{convert|90|cm|in|0|abbr=on}} in [[diameter]]. It has simple, narrow, [[Rectangle|oblong]], dark green [[leaves]] {{convert|7–15|cm|in|1|abbr=on}} long, with a whitish underside. The emerging young leaves are red to yellowish [[pink]] and droop.<ref name="india"/> The [[wood]] is hard, heavy and strong at about {{Convert|72|lb/ft3}}. Its density is 1.12 ton/m<sup>3</sup>.{{citation needed|date=April 2019}}

===Flowers===
Its flowers are terminal or axillary, [[bisexual]], solitary or in an up to nine-flowered open [[panicle]], [[pedicel (botany)|pedicel]] with small paired [[bracts]]. It has four [[decussate]] [[sepals]] sub-orbicular, persistent and variously enlarged and thickened in fruit. [[Stamens]] are numerous, free or [[connation|connate]] only at the base, [[ovary]] superior (1-2 celled) each cell with one to two axillary [[ovules]]. They are slender with a [[peltate]] to four-lobed stigma. The flowers are {{convert|4-7.5|cm|in|1|abbr=on}} diameter, with four white [[petals]].<ref name="agro">{{cite web|url=http://www.worldagroforestry.org/sea/products/afdbases/af/asp/SpeciesInfo.asp?SpID=1770 |title=Species Information |publisher=Worldagroforestry.org |access-date=2013-11-21}}</ref> The flowers are used to make an [[incense]] and to stuff [[pillows]].<ref name="india"/>

===Fruits===
The fruit is a capsule, usually globule, often beaked, thinly woody, usually dehiscing with two to four valves before falling, often exuding resinous droplets. One fruit contains one to four seeds. Fruits are reddish, conical hard and ovoid. The fruit diameter is 3.0" and nearly woody. Fruits are ovoid, {{convert|2.5-5|cm|in|1|abbr=on}} long with persistent [[Calyx (flower)|calyx]]. The seeds are dark brown fleshy oily [[cotyledons]].<ref name="nag">{{cite web|author=Chakrapani Ayurveda |url=http://nagkesar.com/aboutnagkesar.html |title=Nagkesar, Mesua, Mesua ferrea, Clusiaceae |publisher=Nagkesar.com |access-date=2013-11-21}}</ref>{{Unreliable source?|date=April 2019}} Fruits weigh from {{convert|50-60|g|1|abbr=on}} each.<ref name="sea">SEA HandBook-2009, By The Solvent Extractors' Association of India {{full citation needed|date=April 2019}}</ref>

===Seeds===
The fruit contains one round or three conical brown, shiny, seeds consisting of the kernel (cotyledons, 36.6%) within a fibrous outer cover (50% seed) and brittle shell (13.4%). ''M. ferrea'' seeds contained [[lipid]]s (66.91-70.23 g %), moisture (4.02-5.05 g %), ash (1.46-1.50 g %), total protein (6.99-7.19 g %), water-soluble protein (2.98-3.11 g %), starch (5.51-5.85 g %), crude fiber (1.22-1.98 g %), carbohydrate (15.88-18.68 g %). The energy value is 700.55-724.15 kcal/100 g.<ref name="ajol"/>

==Physical properties and composition==
The major fatty acids in nagkesar oil are [[oleic acid]], [[linoleic acid]], [[stearic acid]], and [[palmitic acid]]. [[Polyphenols]] and volatiles can contribute an unpleasant odour. These include the 4-phenyl [[coumarins]] mesuol, mammeisin, mesuagin and mammeigin.<ref name=BALA&SESHADRI>{{cite journal|last1=BALA|first1=K.R.|author2=T.R. SESHADRI|title=Isolation and synthesis of some coumarin components of Mesua ferrea seed oil|journal=Phytochemistry|year=1971|volume=10|issue=5|pages=1131–1134|doi=10.1016/s0031-9422(00)89951-3|bibcode=1971PChem..10.1131B }}</ref>

{| class="wikitable"
|+ Fatty acid composition<ref name="sea"/><ref name="ajol">{{cite journal|volume=18 |issue=2 |publisher=Ajol.info |doi=10.4314/bcse.v18i2.61435 |year=2004 |last1=Abu Sayeed |first1=M. |last2=Abbas Ali |first2=M. |last3=Sohel |first3=F.I. |last4=Astaq Mohal Khan |first4=G.R.M. |last5=Sarmina Yeasmin |first5=Mst. |title='''Physico-chemical characteristics of ''Mesua ferrea'' seed oil and nutritional composition of its seed and leaves''' |journal=Bulletin of the Chemical Society of Ethiopia |doi-access=free }}</ref>
!Fatty acid!!percentage
|-
|[[Myristic acid]] (C14:0)||0.0-2.8
|-
|[[Palmitic acid]] (C16:0)||8.0-16.5
|-
|[[Stearic acid]] (C18:0)||10.0-15.8
|-
|[[Oleic acid]] (C18:1)||55-66
|-
|[[Linoleic acid]] (C20:0)||0-1.0
|}
{| class="wikitable"
|+Physical properties<ref name="ajol"/><ref>PHYSICO-CHEMICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF MESUA FERREA SEED OIL AND
NUTRITIONAL COMPOSITION OF ITS SEED AND LEAVES.M. Abu Sayeed, M. Abbas Ali, F.I. Sohel, G.R.M. Astaq Mohal Khan and Mst. Sarmina
Yeasmin</ref>
!Character!!Range/limit
|-
|[[Refractive Index]]at, 40<sup>0</sup>C||1.465-1.475
|-
|[[Iodine value]]||65-95
|-
|[[Saponification value]]||195-205
|-
|[[Moisture]]||1.0-1.5
|-
|Color 1/4" cell(Y+5R)||25-35
|-
|[[Unsaponifiable matter]] %||2.0-2.5
|}

===See also===
*[[Mesua ferrea]]
*[[Nagkesar]]
*[[Trees of India]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{Non-timber forest products|state=expanded}}

[[Category:Vegetable oils]]

Nagkesar seed oil - Revision history

Aman Mehta: added a data v1