Green Solvent Extraction of Pitaya (Stenocereus spp.) Seed Oil

Pitaya (Stenocereus spp.) is recognized for its nutritional properties, with its seeds and peel accounting for 22–29% of the fruit’s mass, often treated as agro-industrial waste. This study evaluates the potential of green solvents for oil extraction from pitaya seeds, aiming to enhance the valorization of these by-products. The efficiency of ethanol and supercritical CO2 (SC-CO2) was compared to hexane, a commonly used solvent. Soxhlet extractions were performed using ethanol and hexane, while SC-CO2 extractions were conducted under two conditions: 180 bar at 50 °C and 250 bar at 35 °C. Oil yields ranged from 4.9% to 24.7%, with hexane achieving the highest yield. However, SC-CO2 extraction demonstrated its potential as a sustainable alternative. Future studies will focus on characterizing the fatty acid profile of the extracted oil to further assess its nutritional and industrial applications.