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Abstract: Tocopherol-enriched oil was extracted by supercritical fluid extraction of carbon dioxide (SFE-CO2) from Kalahari melon and roselle seeds. The SFE-CO2 process was optimised using response surface methodology (RSM) with central composite design (CCD). Three SFE-CO2 parameters namely extracting pressure, extracting temperature, and flow rate of carbon dioxide were examined. The optimal SFE-CO2 conditions were determined and the quadratic response surfaces were drawn from the mathematical models. The optimal SFE-CO2 conditions for the extraction tocopherol-enriched oil from Kalahari melon seeds were: extracting pressure 290bar, extracting temperature 58°C, and flow rate of carbon dioxide 20ml/min. The optimum conditions for roselle seeds were extracting pressure 200bar, extracting temperature 80°C, and flow rate of carbon dioxide 20ml/min. These optimum conditions yielded tocopherol concentration of 274.74 and 89.75mg/100g oil from Kalahari seed and roselle seed, respectively. No significant (P >0.05) differences were obtained between the experimental and predicted values. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Hylocereus undatus and Hylocereus polyrhizus are two varieties of the commonly called pitaya fruits. The seeds were separated and the oil was extracted and analysed. Essential fatty acids, namely, linoleic acid and linolenic acid form a significant percentage of the unsaturated fatty acids of the seed oil extract. Both pitaya varieties exhibit two oleic acid isomers. Essential fatty acids are important acids that are necessary substrates in animal metabolism and cannot be synthesised in vivo. Both pitaya varieties contain about 50% essential fatty acids (C18:2 (48%) and C18:3 (1.5%)). This paper details the process of recovering the pitaya seeds and determining the composition of the oil extracted from the seeds. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]