Physiochemical properties and phytochemical characteristics of bottle gourd (Lagenaria siceraria) seed oil

Abstract

The physicochemical properties and phytochemical constituents of an extracted oil are important indicators for determining its compositional performance. In the current study, to assess the compositional quality of bottle gourd seed oil, physiochemical properties such as percentage yield, color, boiling point, specific gravity, acid value, peroxide value, saponification value, ester value and free fatty acid were estimated. In addition, GC-MS analysis was performed to identify the chemical components of bottle gourd seed oil. Physicochemical analysis revealed oil yield percentage of 47.22%, oil color is dark yellow, boiling point of 1420C, specific gravity of 0.77, acid value of 10.77 ± 0.06 (mg/g), peroxide value 0.55 ± 0.04 (mEq/kg), saponification value 71.52 ± 0.03 (mg/g), ester value 60.75 ± 0.03 (mg/g) and free fatty acid 2.23 ± 0.04 (mg/g). GC-MS fragment spectral analysis showed many fatty acids, including palmitic acid, stearolic acid, erucic acid (an omega-9 fatty acid), stearic acid and other active ingredients. According to these findings bottle gourd seed oil can be useful in nutritional approaches and has excellent purity, storage quality and a wide range of health benefits.