Characterisation of Moringa peregrina Arabia seed oil

Abstract

Oil content of Moringa peregrina seeds (from Saudi Arabia) was 49.8%. Results of some physical and chemical characteristics of extracted oil were: refractive index (40 degrees C) 1.450, density (24 degrees C) 0.906, acidity (as oleic) 0.30%, iodine value 69.6, saponification number 185 and peroxide value 0.4 meq/kg. Moringa peregrina seed oil was found to contain high levels of oleic (70.52%), followed by gadoleic (1.5%), while the dominant saturated acids were palmitic (8.9%) and stearic (3.82%). alpha-gamma- and delta-tocopherols were detected at levels of 145, 58 and 66 mg/kg respectively. The induction period (at 120 degrees C) of tomato seed oil was 10.2 hours and reduced to 8.1 hours after degumming. Specific extinctions at 232 and 270 nm were 1.66 and 0.19 respectively. beta-sitosterol was round as the most predominant component of the sterolic fraction of the oil. Other sterols found in percentages higher than 1.5% were 24-methylene-cholesterol, campesterol, stigmasterol and Delta(5)-avenasterol. In addition, trace to minor amounts of brassicasterol, campestanol, Delta(7)-campestanol, clerosterol, Delta(5,24)-stigmastadienol, Delta(7)-stigmastanol and Delta(7)-avenasterol were found.