Physiochemical analysis of oil extracted from Vitelleria paradoxa seed obtained from Wukari North Eastern Nigeria

Soxhlet extraction of oil from seeds of Vitelleria paradoxa was carried out using n-hexane as the solvent. Standards methods were adopted in the analysis of the physiochemical properties; moisture content, melting point, total ash content, pH, specific gravity, iodine value, saponification value, acid value, free fatty acid value and ester value were all evaluated. The oil recovery rate was good with 32.6% yield, moisture content of 3.1%, melting point of 52oC and pH 5.7. Total ash content was 50.3%, specific gravity of 0.9 g/cm3, iodine value 39 mg/L, saponification value 224.6 mgKOH/g, acid value 59.9 mgKOH/g free fatty acid (FFA) 29.9 mgKOH/L and ester value 164.7 mg/L. The results shows that oil from Vitelleria paradoxa seed holds the potentials for wider applications in foods, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, lubricants and soap making.