PHYSIOCHEMICAL CHARACTERISTICS AND FATTY ACIDS COMPOSITION OF MORINGA OLEIFERA OIL OF FAR NORTH CAMEROON

Abstract

In this work, a comparative study on Moringa oleifera (MO) oil extraction techniques were conducted. MO seeds were collected from the Far North Region of Cameroon and oil was extracted using Soxhlet (SO), Ultrasonic (US) and Cold press (PR) methods. Physicochemical characteristics and fatty acid composition were determined for each MO oil extracted. The SO seems to be the effective method for oil extraction with a yield equal to 38.94 ± 0.28%, followed by US 35.11 ± 1.45% and at least PR (23.00 ± 1.00%). Moreover, myristic and lignoceric acids were found at low concentration in all extracted oil. However, the unsaturated fatty acid composition of the extracted oils follows PR>US>SO order. Oleic acid was the main unsaturated fatty acid with high rate obtained using PR and SO extractions (75.37%, 75.31% respectively) which is not very different from that obtained by US extraction (74.85). A higher value of acidity was noted in PR extraction method and lower oxidative state value was noted in PR extracted oil comparing to US and SO methods. No major differences were observed for the other physic-chemical parameters. Major and minor saturated fatty acids were palmitic and myristic acids, respectively. Lower total saturated fatty acids were recorded in PR extracted MO oil. We found also linoleic and linolenic acids in the group of unsaturated fatty acids of MO oil.