Extraction and Characterization of Oil from Moringa oleifera Using Supercritical CO₂ and Traditional Solvents

Jessica Ortiz Palafox, Abelardo Navarrete, Julio C. Sacramento-Rivero, Carlos Rubio-Atoche, Pablo Acereto Escoffie, Jose Antonio Rocha-Uribe

Facultad de Ingenieria Quimica, Universidad Autonoma de Yucatan, Col. Chuburna de Hidalgo Inn, Merida, Mexico.
LODEMO Group, Merida, Mexico.

DOI: 10.4236/ajac.2012.312A125                

Abstract

The present work presents a first characterization of the oil from the Moringa (Moringa oleifera) kernel as a potential candidate for biodiesel production. Moringa is an indigenous tree in the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico, where there is a nascent biodiesel industry. Several extraction methods are compared in terms of the extraction yields, including solvent extraction (n-hexane and ethanol), and supercritical extraction (Sc-CO₂). The results are also compared against previ- ously reported data. For supercritical extraction pressures of 200 to 400 bar and temperatures of 40℃ and 60℃ were tested. Gas Chromatography analysis reveals that the main fatty acids in Moringa oil are oleic acid (69%), palmitic acid (10%), and stearic acid (8%).

Keywords

Moringa oleifera; CO₂ Supercritical Extraction; Solvent Extraction; Ben Oil

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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