Expression of Oil From Lagenaria siceraria Seed Using Mechanical Oil Expeller

Abstract

Edible oil plays a major role in the diet as a source of saturated and unsaturated fatty acids. Oils are stored in human body in the form of fats and can be utilized as fuel/energy for various biochemical reactions whenever necessary. One of the feed-stocks, Lagenaria siceraria (Bottle gourd) seed, from which oil can be extracted, has many applications in various food as well as non-food industries. The Lagenaria siceraria seed’s oil is considered as the most dietetic oil since it contains omega-3 which is known to promote energy levels, brain function and overall human vitality. The main focus of this study was to extract the oil from Lagenaria siceraria seed using an oil expeller. The effect of process parameters on oil expression efficiency from the seed was investigated. The ranges of parameters investigated were: rpm of screw (45, 65, 85, 105 and 125 rpm), moisture content (8.24, 10.1, 12.06, 14.4 and 16.1 % (d.b.)), heating temperature (50, 70, 90, 110 and 130 0C), and heating time (5, 10, 15, 20 and 25 minutes) of seeds. It was observed that seed having moisture content of 14.4 % (d.b.) were conditioned at 70oC with 10 min and screw speed of 85 rpm, gave maximum oil yield of 20.06%. At these optimum conditions, physical properties of oil such as colour, specific gravity, refractive index and viscosity were also determined. The information generated is likely to be useful in interpreting the effect of process variables and expelling equipment for subsequent modification in mechanical oil expression.