Extraction and physico- chemical investigation of o il from the seeds of Ceiva Pentandra Linn grown in Katsina, Nigeria

The physicochemical parameters of oil extracted fro m the seeds of Ceiva pentandra Linn were determined and compared with those recommended by the internationa l codex standards for edible oils. The seeds were s extracted using n ‐ hexane to render 24% light yell ow crude oil, whose density was 0.91 g/cm 3 . The physicochemical analysis carried out on the crude lipid sh owed that the oil has the following properties: iod ine value (125.6 gI 2/100g), Saponification value (229 mgKOH/g), peroxid e value (14 meqKOH/g), acid value (0.56 mgKOH/g) and free fatty acids (8.5mgKOH/g). The hig h oil content of the seeds obtained in this work st rongly indicates its prospects for commercial extraction.