Cottonseed oil

• USP–NFCottonseed Oil

cotton seed oil; gossypii oleum; Gossypium oil; refined cottonseed oil

Cottonseed oil (refined fixed oil; mixed triglycerides mainly of linoleic, palmitic and oleic acids) · [8001-29-4]

Polymer, mixture or material of variable composition — no single molecular formula applies.

Oleaginous vehicle

Typical concentrations: — · Dosage forms: Sterile (parenteral/ophthalmic)

Used as a solvent and vehicle for intramuscular injections, as the oil phase of oral and topical emulsions, as a fill vehicle in soft capsules and in topical preparations. It is also widely used as an edible oil. Like other fixed oils used as vehicles, it is often the main or only liquid in the formulation.

A pale yellow or bright golden-yellow, clear, oily liquid that is odourless or nearly so, with a bland, nutty taste. Below about 10 °C particles of solid fat may separate, and at around 0 to −5 °C the oil becomes solid or nearly so.

Fatty-acid composition

roughly linoleic acid about 50%, palmitic acid about 25% and oleic acid about 18%, with small amounts of stearic and myristic acids

Specific gravity

about 0.915–0.921 at 25 °C

Iodine value

about 109–120

Solubility

miscible with chloroform, ether, hexane and carbon disulfide; slightly soluble in ethanol; practically insoluble in water

Stable if stored in a well-filled, airtight, light-resistant container in a cool place; exposure to air and light leads to oxidation and rancidity. Solid fat may separate at low temperatures and redissolves on gentle warming.

Incompatible with strong oxidising agents.

Obtained by expression or solvent extraction of the seeds of cultivated cotton plants (Gossypium hirsutum and other Gossypium species). The crude oil is refined, which removes the toxic pigment gossypol, and is usually winterised to remove the higher-melting glycerides.

Refined cottonseed oil is a food oil and is generally regarded as non-toxic and non-irritant. Crude oil and seed contain gossypol, which is toxic, but this is removed in refining. Hypersensitivity reactions to cottonseed have occasionally been reported.

Observe normal precautions for the quantity handled. Spilt oil is slippery.

GRAS listed. Included in the FDA Inactive Ingredient Database (intramuscular injections; oral capsules and tablets; topical preparations).

Hydrogenated cottonseed oil; corn oil; peanut oil; sesame oil; soybean oil.

Hydrogenated cottonseed oil, a solid fat used as a tablet lubricant and in lipid matrices, is a different material with its own Ph. Eur. and USP–NF monographs. For injections, low-peroxide grades and protection from oxidation are needed.