Fatty Acid Composition and Physicochemical Properties of <i>Ricinus communis </i>Seed Oil Grown from Jabi Tehinan Woreda, Ethiopia

Abstract

Castor seed oil is well known for its diverse medicinal and industrial uses. It is widely utilized as an additive in foods, medicine, personal care goods, lubricant and biodiesel. Nonetheless, the oil content and physicochemical properties of castor seeds depend on their genotypic varieties and geographical location. Fortunately, Ethiopia is endowed with varieties of castor seeds. However, there is a limited research on the total oil content and quality of castor seeds oil. Thus, the aim of this study was to examine the total oil content, the physicochemical characteristics and fatty acid composition of castor seeds oil grown in Jabi Tehinan Woreda, Ethiopia. The three most populous genotype castor beans were collected and subjected to soxhlet extraction using hexane solvent. The outcome showed that their genotypes determine both the amount and quality of the oil extracted. Genotype 01 (GT-01) has exceptionally the highest oil content (69.8%) while the Genotype 02 (GT-02) (47.305) and Genotype 03 (GT-03) (43.21%) have high oil contents. GT-01 has the highest (87.49%), GT-02 the second (85.17) and GT-01 (84.01) the third ricinoleic acid component. This high ricinoleic acid composition is reflected on their chemical and physical properties which are in the range of ASTM standards, making them valuable for various industrial applications.