ARS | Publication request: EFFECT OF SEED CONDITIONING ON MEADOWFOAM PRESS OIL QUALITY

Submitted to: Industrial Crops and Products
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: April 2, 2002
Publication Date: July 22, 2002
Citation: HOLSER, R.A. EFFECT OF SEED CONDITIONING ON MEADOWFOAM PRESS OIL QUALITY. INDUSTRIAL CROPS AND PRODUCTS. 2002.

Interpretive Summary: Meadowfoam is a new oil seed crop that produces an oil used in personal care products. Oil obtained from pressed seed is generally preferred for these applications. Adjusting the moisture level and temperature of the seed (conditioning) prior to pressing was observed to affect the quality of the oil. Samples of press oil obtained from conditioned seed were of a higher quality than oil obtained from unconditioned seed. Higher quality oil is preferred by processors and formulators because it requires less effort to remove the remaining impurities and combines more easily with other components in a formulation.

Technical Abstract: Press oil samples were obtained from meadowfoam (Limanthes alba) seed that was conditioned at 120 C and 12% moisture for 40 minutes prior to flaking and pressing and compared to press oil obtained from unconditioned seed. Conditioned seed flaked to a thickness of 0.4 mm produced a crude press oil with 0.8% free fatty acids, a peroxide value of 0.5 meq/kg, and a Lovibond color (2.54 cm) of 70Y, 2.7R. Headspace analysis performed by SPME/GC-MS detected the presence of glucosinolate degradation compounds in the press oil obtained from unconditioned seed but not in press oil obtained from conditioned seed.