PHYSIOCHEMICAL ANALYSIS OF DESERT DATE (BALANITE AEGYPTIACA) SEED OIL FOR INDUSTRIAL AND DOMESTIC PURPOSES

Abstract

The desert date seeds were collected from Gomo, washed, decocted, dried, and pulverized. The seed oil was extracted using soxhlet apparatus with n- hexane as solvent. The percentage yield of the extracted oil was found to be 40.5%. While the physicochemical analysis of the seed oil was conducted using standard procedures with the following results; specific density 0.98g/cm3, saponification value 134mgKOH/g, peroxide value 38meq/kg, acid value 12.6mgKOH/g, free fatty acid value 12.7mgKOH/g. These results indicate that Desert date seed oil could be a rich source of oil for industrial and domestic purposes if exploited richly.