Thesis Abstract

<p> This project was done to extract and characterize bean oil according to their<br>particle sizes. The experiment was carried out using scent bean (i.e. ‘Ozaki’,<br>‘Ijilizi’or ‘Azamu’) as sample. The oils were extracted by solvent extraction<br>/leaching extraction using n-hexane. Proximate analysis was carried out to obtain<br>percentage moisture content, ash content, total oil content, protein content and<br>carbohydrate content of the extracted oils. From observation, it was noticed that as<br>the diameter of the sieve decreased, the quantity of oil obtained increased<br>[vi] <br></p>

Thesis Overview

<p> </p><p>1.0. INTRODUCTION<br>1.1. BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY<br>There has been an increase in the world production of oilseeds over the last thirty<br>years (Murphy, 1994); this would appear to be related to the increasing demand for<br>oilseed products and by-products as oilseeds are primarily grown for their oil and<br>meal.<br>Oils from most edible oilseeds are used in the food industry, though there is<br>growing emphasis on industrial utilization as feedstock for several industries with<br>about 80% of the world production of vegetable oils for human consumption. The<br>remaining 20% utilization is between animal and chemical industries (Murphy,<br>1994).<br>According to Rajagopal et al. (2005), bio-oils from oilseeds are used as Straight<br>Vegetable Oil (SVO) or as biodiesel (trans esterified oil) depending on type of<br>engine and level of blend of the oil; scent bean oil i.e. Ozaki, Ijiliji, or Azamu is<br>found mainly in the South-East of Nigeria and is not an exception. This<br>phenomenon has created a school of thought that it is better to use oilseeds as biofuel,<br>which will lessen the competition for fossil fuels, which are not renewable.<br>Fossil fuels are not only costly in terms of price but are also costly to the<br>[2]<br>environment as they degrade land, pollute water and cause a general destabilization<br>of the ecosystem with global warming as an end result. Furthermore, crude oil<br>wields socio-political power that often dictates the pace of economic growth in<br>specific locations, especially non-oil producing nations.<br>Nevertheless, the petroleum industry requires a greater quantity of oil to meet its<br>demand.<br>Demand, however, by the food industry alone is not secure for many developing<br>countries like Ghana that depend on imports of vegetable oil and fossil fuels. In<br>order to meet the required amounts needed by all industries, these fats and oils<br>must be available in large quantities locally with an effective extraction process at<br>an affordable cost. The ability of a particular oilseed to fit into the growing<br>industries depends on its utilization potential, rate of production, availability and<br>ease of the processing technology. Thus while some oilseeds are being largely<br>utilized in the oil processing industries, quite a number of oilseeds are underexploited.</p><p>Generally, oils and fats from seeds and nuts constitute an essential part of man’s<br>diet. Fats and oils, together with proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals,<br>are the main nutrients required by the human body. Fats and oils are rich sources of<br>energy, containing two and a half times the calories of carbohydrates (per unit<br>[3]<br>weight). In addition to being a source of vitamins A, D, E and K, fats and oils also<br>contain essential fatty acids. These essential fatty acids are not manufactured by<br>the body and must be obtained from diets, with linoleic, oleic and linoleic acids as<br>examples of unsaturated fatty acids (NRI, 1995).<br>Modern processing of vegetable oils yields valuable products such as oleo<br>chemicals. Oleo chemicals are now largely being used in the manufacture of many<br>industrial products, namely building auxiliaries, candles, detergents and cleaning<br>agents, cosmetics, fire-extinguishing agents, flotation agents, food emulsifiers,<br>insecticides, lubricants, paints, paper, medicine and chemicals. The meal or cake is<br>used in the formulation and preparation of livestock feeds and food additives.<br>The production of oil plants takes third place in the world production in terms of<br>value, after starchy plants and fruits, and ahead of beverages and stimulants. Edible<br>seeds and nuts noted for their oil contents include palm nut, coconut, soya bean,<br>olive, groundnut, sunflower seed, and cottonseed, while non-edible seeds and nuts<br>include jatropha seed, neem seed, and castor bean. Moreover, bean oil has<br>strengthened its dominant role among fats and oils produced based on its quality<br>and nutritional grade. Bean oil contains linoleic, oleic and linoleic acids that are<br>found in many plant oils. Shortage of these fatty acids leads to deficiency<br>symptoms especially in growing children and animals. Bean oil has the highest<br>content of lecithin (1.1-3.2%) which is a surface-active compound used as an<br>[4]<br>emulsifier in the food and pharmaceutical industries, and other industries (Sigmund<br>and Gustav, 1991).<br>Among the industries that use oils and fats from oilseeds, apart from the food<br>industry, are the beauty, pharmaceuticals, aromatherapies, building and<br>construction, and the petroleum industry.<br>1.2. Problem Statement<br>Many plants have been identified as sources of oil, with some of the plant species<br>and their oil extracted and used as medicines and food. However, very few of these<br>species have their oil characteristics determined.<br>Because of the high demand of oils for various purposes including medicinal,<br>perfumery, soap making, insecticides et al. Imported oils are very expensive to<br>meet the demands of our local consumer industries; therefore, it becomes<br>necessary to source and synthesize these oils locally. Since these oils can be<br>produced locally, it gives no reason for their importation or at least should reduce<br>the rate at which these oils are imported and give attention to local production.<br>[5]<br>1.3. OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY<br>The purpose of this study is to<br>a. Find the percentage composition of oil in the bean seed<br>b. To determine the effect of particle size on the yield of the oil.<br>1.4. SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY<br>Exploitation of fruits and seeds as a source of oil can help to reduce oil costs by<br>diversifying the sources for this commodity. Data generated from this study will<br>benefit industries for production of oils for various purposes.<br>In addition the content and composition of fatty acids of plant seed oils can serve<br>as plants taxonomic markers.<br>[6]<br>1.5. JUSTIFICATION OF THE RESEARCH<br>Some factors and benefits of bean (“Ozaki, Ijiliji or Azamu”) oil make the research<br>worthwhile;<br>1 The bean is readily available.<br>2 Oil from this particular bean is medicinal and applicable in pharmaceutical<br>industries.<br>3 Small scale industries coming up as a result of oil extraction can reduce<br>unemployment.<br>4 It can attract foreign exchange earnings for Nigeria</p><div><div></div></div><br> <br><p></p>