OPTIMIZATION AND PHYSICOCHEMICAL CHARACTERIZATION OF OIL EXTRACTED FROM LOOFAH (Luffa cylindrica) SEED USING RESPONSE SURFACE METHODOLOGY

Abstract

Response Surface Methodology(RSM) involving Central Composite Face Centred Design (CCFCD) was used to optimize the process of solvent extraction of oil from loofah seeds. The effect of process parameters such as binary solvent (hexane/ethanol) composition, temperature and extraction time on the response (yield of oil) was investigated. The designed experiments gave that, the maximum yield (30 %) of the seed oil was obtained at 60oC, 150 min and solvent composition (100% ethanol). However, from the optimization study, it is observed that, the optimum yield required can best be obtained at 40oC , 151.9 min and, solvent composition (2% hexane / 98% ethanol) with a desirability of 100%. There was a good correlation between the predicted and experimental values using the developed quadratic model for oil yield prediction with a correlation coefficient (R2) of 0.993. Findings showed that refining process significantly improved the quality of the extract. From the Gas Chromatography- Mass spectrophotometric (GC-MS) analysis, it was concluded that the extracted loofah seed oil (LSO) could find various applications in the soap industry, surface coating, and other areas.

Keywords

• waste management
• luffa cylindrical
• oil
• extraction
• optimization