Physico-chemical and toxicological studies on Afzelia africana seed and oil

Abstract

Afzelia africana seeds were obtained from three locations, Abakaliki, Enugu and Nsukka, all in the Eastern part of Nigeria and de-hulled. The seed oil was extracted with (40 -60°C) petroleum ether and the oil was separated from the solvent using a rotary evaporator. Result of analysis shows that the acid value, saponification value, specific gravity, free fatty acid and refractive index of the oil samples were lowest for the samples obtained from Nsukka. The average moisture content of the seeds from the various locations was 5.56 ± ± ± ± 0.5%. The crude protein (26.44%) and oil content (33.32%) did not vary significantly with location or environment. The various oils were found to contain no less than 0.60 mg/100 g of oxalate, 0.70 mg/kg of phytate and neither tannins or cyanogenic glycosides. This paper empirically highlights the possible industrial applications as well as the safety of the seed oil.

Assessment of Physicochemical Properties, Fatty Acid Composition of Afzelia africana Seed Oil and the Effect of Its Oil-Based Diet on Body Weight and Plasma Lipid Profile of Albino Rats

“…30 [16]. This value almost corresponds with the value of 3.37 as reported by previous studies [17] for Afzelia africana seed oil.…”

“…These non-drying oils are very useful in the manufacturing of soaps, lubricants and food. However, the values obtained were lower than that obtained in other studies [17] for Afzelia africana oil.…”

“…Saponification values also represent the molecular weight of oil [20]. Afzelia africana oil saponification value in mg/KOH/g was 124.54, close to 128 mg/KOH/g oil [17] for Afzelia africana oil and 128.480 mg/KOH/g oil obtained by previous studies for African pear and by far higher than the 52.11 mg/KOH/g oil [21] [22].…”

Effects of Heating on Phytonutrients in Cooked Aqueous Extract of Vigna Unigulculata (Black Eyed Bean)

“…The content of moisture in cooked V. unguiculata was observed to be lower than the raw sample, which was similar to that reported by 35 . Low moisture content may reduce microbial activity, enhances and elongate storage and reduce free fatty acids and low acid value 42, 43 . The content of crude carbohydrate was higher in cooked than in raw V. unguiculata.…”

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“…Oxalate, when present in large quantity, chelates with some metal ions in the body, rendering them insoluble. Hence, cannot be absorbed in the intestine [18]. Thus, fermenting the seed would go a long way in solving the problem of nutrients mal-absorption.…”