Thesis Abstract

Abstract
The extraction and characterization of vegetable oil from breadfruit seeds have gained significant attention due to the potential for utilizing a byproduct of the food industry to produce a value-added product. This research project aimed to optimize the oil extraction process from breadfruit seeds on an industrial scale and to characterize the extracted oil for its quality and composition. Various extraction methods including solvent extraction, cold pressing, and mechanical pressing were compared to determine the most efficient method for obtaining oil with high yield. The results of the study indicated that solvent extraction yielded the highest oil content from breadfruit seeds, followed by cold pressing and mechanical pressing. The quality of the extracted oil was evaluated based on parameters such as free fatty acid content, peroxide value, iodine value, and fatty acid composition. The extracted oil was found to have low free fatty acid content and peroxide value, indicating good quality and low levels of oxidation. Characterization of the fatty acid composition revealed that the predominant fatty acids in the breadfruit seed oil were oleic acid, linoleic acid, and palmitic acid. The oil also contained significant levels of unsaturated fatty acids, making it a potential source of healthy dietary fats. The iodine value of the oil indicated its suitability for various industrial applications such as biodiesel production. Overall, the study demonstrated the feasibility of extracting vegetable oil from breadfruit seeds on an industrial scale and highlighted the potential of breadfruit seed oil as a valuable product with various applications in the food and industrial sectors. The findings of this research contribute to the utilization of breadfruit seeds as a sustainable source of vegetable oil, thereby promoting the efficient use of agricultural byproducts and reducing waste in the food industry. Further research can focus on optimizing the extraction process to improve oil yield and quality, as well as exploring additional applications of breadfruit seed oil in different industries.

Thesis Overview

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Vegetable oil

A vegetable oil is a triglyceride extracted from a plant. Such oils have been part of human culture for millennia. The term “vegetable oil” can be narrowly defined as referring only to substances that are liquid at room temperature, or broadly defined without regard to a substance’s state of matter at a given temperature. For this reason, vegetable oils that are solid at room temperature are sometimes called vegetable fats. Vegetable oils are composed of triglycerides, as contrasted with waxes which lack glycerin in their structure. Although many plant parts may yield oil, in commercial practice, oil is extracted primarily from seeds.