PHYSIOCHEMICAL PROPERTIES AND FATTY ACID COMPOSITION OF AFRICAN STAR APPLE SEED OIL

PHYSIOCHEMICAL PROPERTIES AND FATTY ACID COMPOSITION OF AFRICAN STAR APPLE SEED OIL

ABSTRACT

Fatty acid profile analysis and physicochemical analysis were performed on oil extracted from African star apples utilising a continuous extraction procedure using a Soxhlet device. The acid value, lodine value, peroxide value, saponification value, free fatty acid, refractive index, melting point, smoke point, flash point, fire point, and specific gravity are 30.67 mg/g, 20.67 mg/g, 5.00 mg/g, 48.00 mg/g, 0.87%, 0.96, 1.47, 19.00OC, 1.03, 122.00OC, 156.00OC, and 180.00OC, respectively, according to the results. When compared positively to the value achieved in palm oil, groundnut oil, and cotton seed oil, all of these values demonstrate that African star apple oil is appropriate for both industrial and human consumption (Adewusi, 1997). African star apple oil has a significant proportion of unsaturated fatty acids in terms of its fatty acid composition. 85 percent oleic acid 7% and 6%, respectively, of linoleic and linolenic acid, but the highest values of 17% were found for saturated fatty acids including arachidoic and lauric. Because it inhibits low density lipoprotein, a precursor to cholesterol that causes heart attacks and hypertension, African star apple oil can be defined as an oil that contains more unsaturated fatty acids than saturated fatty acids, making it safe for human consumption.