Comparative study of morphological aspects and oil composition of cashew nuts from nine localities in Ivory Coast

In an effort to contribute to the oil crops in Ivory Coast, the seeds of Anarcadium occidentale (cashew nuts) were studied. This crop has a high socio-economic importance in Ivory Coast, and the country is the first world producer, the production is mainly destined for export. A homogeneous and representative sample was taken from different producing regions. Biometric characteristics showed a variation in nut weight of between 5–7 g, with a very good number of nuts per kg which vary from 146 to 188 nuts per kg. Measurements ranged from 2.94–3.25 cm in length to 2.06–2.25 cm in width, with no significant differences between the studied regions. Chemical extraction of the oil by soxhlet revealed that the kernels were rich in fat content on average 31.13%; with a peroxide value ranging from 1.69–6.99 meq O2.kg−1 and maximum K232 of 2.32 and free acidity < 2 mg.g−1 KOH Cashew oil has an interesting chlorophyll content, like olive oil (0–10 ppm), which ranges from 2.62 to 8.12 ppm. This oil is rich in oleic acid (63.80%–67.46%), followed by linoleic acid (16.09%–19.59%), and has a low quantity of palmitic acid (7.62%–9.43%).