Jojoba oil: A state of the art review and future prospects

Abstract

Jojoba oil, which is derived from the extraction of Jojoba seed, has a peculiar molecular structure in comparison with the rest of conventional oils. Jojoba oil is formed by long monounsaturated esters whereas the rest of the oils are usually composed by triglycerides. This unconventional structure confers to Jojoba oil unique properties and characteristics that are very valuable for fine chemical industry and for the production of pharmaceuticals. In addition, Jojoba oil can be an excellent source of fatty acid alkyl esters or biodiesel after the transesterification process and the purification steps. This review presents general information about the production of Jojoba oil and its derivatives, its composition, oil extraction process and the applications of this oil when it is used directly or after chemical transformation as well as the possible purposes of Jojoba meal after extraction.In addition, this paper contemplates the advantages and disadvantages of the use of homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysts for the Jojoba oil transesterification as well as different methods to obtain long monounsaturated alcohols, which have pharmaceutical applications, after being separated from biodiesel. The properties of the products derived from the transesterification of Jojoba oil are broadly discussed. Moreover, this review suggests future research opportunities such as a possible biorefinery using Jojoba oil as main raw material, supercritical methods and simultaneous extraction/reaction process which are fully discussed.