ABSTRACT

The effects of variety and packaging materials on the storage stability of African oil bean seed mesocarp oil was evaluated. The storage stability studies of oil extracted from African oil bean seed varieties was carried out for a period of 3 months. Commercial soybean oil was used as control sample. Oil yield and quality parameters were determined. Results showed that freshly extracted African oil bean oils were within the CODEX limit (5.00%) for crude oils with a percentage oil yield of 37.40%, 50.20% and 42.10% for Nsukka, Ghana and Cameroon varieties respectively. Ghana variety had the highest oil yield (50.20%). Quality parameters showed that African oil bean oils stored in amber plastic had the best oxidative stability. Storage in ambient temperature (27-28 °C) in Microbiology Laboratory, National Root Crop Research Institute, Umudike, from second week of August to first week of November which resulted to oil samples with acceptable limit for thiobarbituric acid value (control had 0.06±0.00, Nsukka had 0.60±0.01, Ghana had 1.77±0.01 and Cameroun had 1.23±0.01) at the end of 3 months ofstorage. However, the peroxide values (control had 3.58±0.01, Nsukka had 7.56±0.02, Ghana had 8.77±0.01 and Cameroun had 8.23±0.03) were within the acceptable limit after 2 months of storage and went slightly higher after 3 months. This indicated that the oil samples may still be fresh within 2 months of storage. African oil bean seed mesocarp oil is strongly recommended to be always stored in amber plastic packaging material under ambient temperature (27-28 °C) considering that it had the best oxidative stability. The parameters measured were free fatty acids, peroxide value, iodine value, viscosity, tocopherol content and thiobarbituric.