Yield, Physicochemical Properties, and Fatty Acid Profile of Vegetable Oil Extracted From Seed Coats of <i>Strychnos pungens</i> Soler. Fruits Collected in Chikomba, Zimbabwe.

ABSTRACT: The study examined Strychnos pungens Soler. (family LOGANIACEAE) fruit as a potential source of vegetable oil. Ripe fruits collected from a forested site in Zimbabwe were processed to determine the partitioning of fresh and dry fruit biomass. The oil was extracted from the seed coat using a hand-operated screw press, and its physiological properties were analyzed. Seeds contributed the most to the fresh weight of the fruit, followed by the shell and pulp. The seed coat was a significant component of the seeds. The seed coat, but not the pulp of the fruit, was found to contain screw press-extractable oil, the yield of which was substantial, amounting to around 39% of the dry weight of the seed coat. The oil was found to have a high free fatty acid content and a moderate iodine value

SUBMITTER: Zimudzi C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11531360 | biostudies-literature | 2024

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature