Physicochemical Properties and Fatty acid composition of Dikanut (Irvingia Gabonensis) seed oil

Abstract

Nigeria is one of the countries of the world with a variety of oil seeds, therefore the potential of Nigeria leading Africa, and the world at large, in the area of seeds oil production was examined by evaluating the fat content, physicochemical qualities, and fatty acid content of oil extracted from dikanut (Irvingia gabonensis) seed, bought from Owode market in Offa local Government area of Kwara State, Nigerian. The fat content of Irvingia gabonensis was 22.50 + 0.2 %. The chemical qualities iodine, peroxide, saponification, and acid values, free fatty acid, and unsaponifiable matter were analyzed using standard methods, and the values, were found to be 4.50+0.1gI2/100g, 1.80+0.1 meq/kg, 187.90+0.3 mgKOH/g oil, 9.40+0.2 mgKOH/g oil, 4.70+0.2% FFA as oleic acid and 1.50+0.5% respectively. The physical properties were solid at room temperature, grey yellow in colour, melting point (13+1oC) and specific gravity 0.88+0.2kg/dm3. The oil contained sixmajor fatty acid in the following other lauric > myristic > stearic > palmitic > oleic > linolenic acid. The result reveals that the oil extracted can be useful both domestically and industrially.