THE YIELD, SENSORY CHARACTERISTICS AND FATTY ACID CONTENT OF OILS EXTRACTED FROM AFRICAN OIL BEAN (Pentaclethra macrophylla Benth) SEEDS AT DIFFERENT MATURATION STAGES
1Duru, F. C., 1Ohaegbulam, P. O. and 2Ezeji, C. C.
1Department of Food Technology, Federal Polytechnic Nekede, Imo State
2Department of Food Science and Technology, Federal University of Technology, Owerri,
Email: durufaustina@gmail.com
ABSTRACT: The yield, sensory characteristics and fatty acid content of oils extracted from African oil bean seeds at different maturation periods were investigated in this study. The seeds harvested from one-month development, two months’ development and exploded seeds were extracted, ground, dried and analyzed for the titratable acidity; and crude oil was extracted from the dried ground seed flour. The oil yield from raw seeds increased with periods of seed development, being 8.86% at one month, 27.8% at two months and 39.2% at full maturity (exploded seed). The one month and two month developed seed yield a brown-coloured oil while the exploded seed oil was yellow in colour; both oils were bland in flavour and the physical state ranged from semi – liquid to liquid at room temperature. The titratable acidity values was higher (0.185% lactic acid) in exploded seed. The fatty acid, 11 – Octadecenoic acid were found at levels 14% in all the seed oils; 9,12 – Octadecadienoic acid were also 14% in one month and two months seed oil, while, 9,12 – Octadecadienoic acid were up to 13% in exploded seed oil.
Keywords: African oil bean seed oil, Sensory characteristics, Fatty acid.
