Comparative Fatty Acid Profiling and Physiochemical Analysis of Persea Americana Mill. Oil Extracted from Two Different Methods

Abstract

Persea americana (Avocado Pear) is an edible fruit with high content of oil and chlorophyll. Oil extracted from the pulp of Persea americana using two different methods (Soxhlet extraction and Steam Distillation) was assayed for physicochemical properties and also characterized using standard methods. Soxhlet Extraction (SE) proved to be a better method of extraction with a higher percentage of oil yield (33.30%) compared to 17.4% obtained from Steam Distillation (SD) method. All the other physical properties assayed were in good correlation. Chemical analysis revealed that the Steam Distillation (SD) sample has higher values of Iodine, Acid (FFA), Peroxide and Saponification. The obtained lipid was trans esterified by a base catalyst. The methyl esters were analyzed using GC-MS. The lipid profile showed that Capric acid was the most predominant fatty acid in the SE oil sample having the highest value (16.69%), followed by Lauric acid (3.15%), while the least was Linolelaidic acid (0.05%. Whereas, Heptadecanoic acid was the most predominant fatty acid (17.98%) in the SD oil sample, followed by Stearic acid (14.51%), with Linolenic acid (0.06%) as the least. Low percentage of Linoleic acid was equally recorded from both oil samples as 71.40% of the constituents from the SE oil sample could not be detected, while only 36.96% of the constituents from SD were not detected.