The Study of the Characteristics and Rancidity of Three Species of Elaeis guineensis in South East of Nigeria

Abstract

Palm Oil (Elaeis guineensis) samples were extracted by two methods of extraction, cold (Eketeke) and normal. The palm oil samples extracted by cold method (Eketeke) have significantly low mean values of peroxide 2.30 (meg/kg), free fatty acid 0.12 mg/KOH/g, acid 0.19 mgKOH/g and with high iodine value 47.2 mg/KOH/g. Whereas normal method have considerable high mean values of peroxide 2.5 (meg/kg), free fatty acid, 0.23 mg/KOH/g, acid 0.16 mg/g and with low iodine value of 45.7 mg/KOH/g. The acid values of all the oil samples are not higher than 0.6 mg/g recommended for most vegetable oils in Nigeria. Steady increase of peroxide values of oils leads to rancidity. The GLC result showed that oil sample A1 (Eketeke) at 100^oC was a mixture of unsaturated (47.56%) and saturated (43.85%) fatty acid. Whereas oil sample B at 100^oC was a mixture of unsaturated (49.82%) and saturated (50.17%) fatty acid. Also sample C at 100^oC was a mixture of unsaturated (45.2%) and saturated (54.80%) fatty acid.