PHYSICOCHEMICAL PROPERTIES AND FATTY ACID PROFILES OF OILS FROM BLIGHIA SAPIDA ARIL, DACRYODES EDULIS PULP, AND CYPERUS ESCULENTUS TUBERS

This study assessed the physicochemical properties and fatty acid composition of oils extracted from Blighia sapida aril, Dacryodes edulis pulp, and Cyperus esculentus tubers to determine their nutritional and industrial potentials using AOAC standard analytical techniques. Oil yields ranged from 18.44% (C. esculentus) to 40.35% (B. sapida). Specific gravities (0.85–0.96 g/cm³) and refractive indices (1.45–1.47) were within Codex standards for edible oils. Acid values varied from 0.92 to 5.02 mg KOH/g, iodine values from 60.24 to 120.54 mg I₂/g, peroxide values from 0.90 to 4.93 mEq/kg, and saponification values from 177.87 to 207.38 mg KOH/g, reflecting differences in quality, stability, and level of unsaturation. Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry revealed distinct fatty acid profiles: B. sapida oil was highly saturated (93.46%) dominated by hexadecanoic acid (72.68%) as the major component; D. edulis oil contained a balance of saturated (59.38%) and unsaturated (39.30%) fatty acids, primarily n-hexadecanoic acid (45.60%) and oleic acid (35.26%). Meanwhile C. esculentus oil was rich in unsaturated fatty acids (65.91%), with oleic acid (33.74%) as the most abundant. The findings indicate that B. sapida oil is suitable for thermal and storage stability, D. edulis oil offers nutritional and cosmetic benefits due to its high oleic acid content, and C. esculentus oil has potential applications in both nutrition and biodiesel production. These results highlight the potential nutritional and industrial applications of the oils.