Abstract
The core objective of this study was to investigate the physicochemical characteristics and fatty acid composition of the oils of sunflower, olive, virgin coconut and ginger oils, as well as the separation of their unsaturated fatty acids. The data indicated a significant variation in physicochemical properties (acid, saponification, ester, and iodine values) among oils. Transesterification process was carried out at a molar ratio of 1:7:0.1 of oil: methanol: KOH. Fatty acid methyl esters of oils were analyzed by infrared (IR) and gas chromatography–mass (GC-MS) spectrometry. Twelve fatty acids were identified, where the major fatty acid of olive oil was found to be oleic acid (89%), whereas those of sunflower and ginger oils were linoleic acid (80.9 %) and (79.3 %), respectively. Sunflower and olive oils were fractionated by 25% silver nitrate-impregnated silica gel column chromatography. By this method, linoleic acid methyl ester from sunflower and oleic acid methyl ester from olive oil were isolated with high purity percentages and yields. This study is significant for the development of food and pharmaceutical products.
Highlights
The characterization of vegetable oils is significant for understanding the mechanism of oil's function in human nutrition and health
The results show that the olive oil has highest acid value (0.50mgKOH/g oil), which indicated that this oil contains high concentrations of free fatty acids, while the lowest acid value was recorded in ginger oil (0.0.37 mg KOH/g oil)
thin layer chromatography (TLC) results showed that the oil was successfully converted to fatty acid methyl ester (FAME), because the retention factor (Rf) values of FAME, oil, and Free fatty acids were different
Summary
The characterization of vegetable oils is significant for understanding the mechanism of oil's function in human nutrition and health. The sunflower oil and olive oil are obtained from the seed of the sunflower flower and the fruit of the olive tree, respectively Both oils contain different fatty acid composition and most of the fatty acids are unsaturated fatty acids, such as linoleic acid and oleic acid [1]. Linoleic acid is one of the most significant polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) and would reduce plasma cholesterol and triglyceride levels. By several mechanisms, such as the decrease in platelet aggregation and stabilization of atherosclerotic plaque, linoleic acid protects the human body against cardiovascular disease (CVD) [2]. Common methods to obtain fractions rich in unsaturated fatty acids include molecular distillation, liquid chromatography, and argentated silica
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