Physicochemical and fatty acid profile of egusi oil from supercritical carbon dioxide extraction

O Olubi; J V Felix-Minnaar; V A Jideani

doi:10.1016/j.heliyon.2018.e01083

Physicochemical and fatty acid profile of egusi oil from supercritical carbon dioxide extraction

Heliyon. 2018 Dec 31;5(1):e01083. doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2018.e01083. eCollection 2019 Jan.

Authors

O Olubi¹, J V Felix-Minnaar¹, V A Jideani¹

Affiliation

¹ Department of Food Science and Technology, Cape Peninsula University of Technology, P. O. Box 1906, Bellville, 7535, South Africa.

Abstract

Oil extraction from egusi seeds using supercritical CO₂ extraction method was performed using series of operational parameters, temperature (55, 60, 75 °C), flow rate (30 g/h) and pressure (450, 600 bar). Egusi oil (EO) extracted at 60 °C, 30 g/h and 450 bar (EO1); 55 °C, 30 g/h and 600 bar (EO2) and 75 °C, 30 g/h and 600 bar (EO3) were investigated in a plant scale supercritical equipment. The fatty acid composition of egusi oil was analysed using gas chromatography, with result showing a high linoleic acid approximately (53%) and oleic acids (19%). The index of atherogenicity (IA%) and thrombogenicity index (IT %) were significantly low for the three oil samples, indicating its health benefits. Oxidative stability of egusi oil was analysed by Methrohm 743 Rancimat, confirming a less oxidised oil. Hence, egusi oil can be used as a raw material in dietary supplements and as a functional oil in the food industry.

Keywords: Food analysis; Food science; Food technology.