Biotechnology of Traditional Cold Pressing of <i>Hibiscus</i><i> </i><i>Sabdariffa</i><i> </i>Seed Oil from Senegal

In recent years, the increasing awareness of health benefits associated with natural oils has led to a burgeoning demand for seed oils of plants such as hibiscus. This plant is well known for the richness of its oil in nutritional and bioactive compounds used in medicine and cosmetics. Oil extraction is one of the most critical steps in seed oil production, because it is linked to the quality and the quantity of the extracted oil. These processes play a pivotal role in ensuring the production of high quality of vegetable oils derived from seeds. Cold press oil extraction is more environment friendly than other oil extraction methods as it preserves the natural flavor, aroma, and nutritional content of the oil. Here, the cold pressing method was used to optimize oil pressing from hibiscus seeds. The carefully selected and dried seeds were directly introduced into a semi-automatic device consisting of a cylindrical screw press at approximately 50°C, which allowed the oil and seeds to be recovered separately. The collected oil is then left to settle overnight before being filtered and stored in clean, dry containers. The oil content of the seeds was evaluated by comparing the mass of virgin oil obtained with that of the crushed seeds and gave a yield of about 17.87%. The natural and harmless potential of this traditionally pressed hibiscus oil allows it to contribute to the prevention of many diseases and to promote human health and well-being. At the same time, many by-products, including oilseed cakes, were obtained, constituting a basic feed for animals.