Physico-Chemical Characterization of Vegetable Oil and Defatted Meal from Two Varieties of Cyperus esculentus from Benin

In view of forest species development little or les s crop, this work has focused on the study of uncon ventional oils extracted from tigernut. The study was aimed to determine the physico-chemical parameters (acidity, peroxide, io dine and saponification values), the fatty acid profile, tocols and st erols of vegetable oils obtained from Cyperus esculentus produced in Benin. Analyses showed a lipid potential of Cyperus esculentus between 27 and 29%. Quality index obtained: acidit y ( 70%), largely known in nutrition allowed these vege table oils to be used as food supplements. This stu dy revealed in oilcake the predominance of minerals such as nitrog en N (~1.5%), phosphorus P (0.27%) and potassium K (~1%) as well as total protein (MS ~9%), starch (33-40% DM) and total sugar (21-26% DM) indicating their potential use in animal feed. The unsaponifiables of vegetable oil such as sterol s and tocols were quantified to 63 and 4000 mg/100 g edible by LC-MS method which could predict their use in cosmetics.