ABSTRACT
The cashew tree consists of the cashew nut fruit (which is a curved edible seed, housed in a honeycomb-like shell), the apple, leaf, and bark. The fruit consists of an outer shell, inner shell, and the kernel. By weight, cashew nuts comprise 50% shell, 25% kernel (including testa), and 25% shell liquid. The shell of the cashew nut (Anacardium occidentale L.) contains an alkylphenolic oil named cashew nut shell liquid (CNSL) amounting to nearly 25% of the total weight of the nut. This oil is composed of anacardic acid (3-n-pentadecylsalicylic acid), and lesser amounts of cardanol (3-n-pentadecylphenol), cardol (5-n-pentadecylresorcinol), methylcardol (2-methyl-5-n-pentadecylresorcinol) and a small amount of polymeric material. Other components include 1241-hydroxy-2-carboxy-3-pentadecyl benzene, 1-hydroxy-2-carboxy-3-(8’-pentadecenyl) benzene, 1-hydroxy-2-carboxy-3-(8,’11’-pentadecadienyl) benzene, 1-hydroxy-2-carboxy-3-(8,’11,’14’-pentadecatrienyl)benzene, 2-methyl-5-pentadecyl resorcinol, 2-methyl-5-(8’-pentadecenyl)resorcinol, 2-methyl-5-(8,’11’-pentadecadienyl) resorcinol, 2-methyl-5-(8,’11,’14’-pentadecatrienyl)resorcinol, 3-pentadeca-anisole, 3-(8’-pentadecenyl) anisole, 1-methoxy-3-(8,’11’-pentadecadienyl)benzene, 1-methoxy-3-(8,’ 11,’14’-pentadecatrienyl)benzene, 5-pentadecyl resorcinol, 5-(8’-pentadecyl) resorcinol, 5-(8,’11’-pentadecadienyl)resorcinol, and 5-(8,’ 11,’14’-pentadecatrienyl)resorcinol. The present chapter deals with the source of production, processes, and geographical information, export/import, and chemical composition, industrial utility, and environmental effects of CNSL in modern perspectives.
