Supercritical CO2 extraction of omega-3 rich oil from Sacha inchi (Plukenetia volubilis L.) seeds

Supercritical carbon dioxide (SC-CO2) was employed to extractomega-3 rich oil from Sacha inchi (Plukenetia volubilis L) seeds and partially defatted cake. For ground seeds, the supercritical extraction was carried out at temperatures of 40, 50 and 60 degrees C and pressures of 300 and 400 bar, and for the cold pressed partially defatted cake, the extraction was carried out with 300 bar at 40 degrees C and with 400 bar at 60 degrees C. The global extraction yields (X-0), oil solubility, fatty acid composition of the oil and tocopherol content were determined. The seed samples used in this work contained 54.3% oil, of which 50.5% was linoleinc acid (omega-3). The maximum extraction recovery for the seeds as 92% at 400 bar and 60 degrees C, but on one occasion a recovery of 99.1% oil was obtained when cold pressed extraction was employed, followed by supercritical extraction at 400 bar and 60 degrees C. A high tocopherol content of about 2-3 g/kg of oil was obtained. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.