Purification Process, Physicochemical Properties, and Fatty Acid Composition of Black Soldier Fly (Hermetia illucens Linnaeus) Larvae Oil

This study presented a refining process and reported on fatty acid composition and the physicochemical properties of the oil from black soldier fly larvae (BSFL). Crude larvae oil was purified through four steps consisting of degumming, neutralization, bleaching, and deodorization. Optimum degumming conditions that give the highest phospholipid weight and oil consisted of water concentration of 7% (v/v), followed by addition of H2SO4 at a concentration of 0.5% (v/v). Optimum conditions for saponification that maximize saponification value and free fatty acid (FFA) value were 0.4 mg NaOH/100 g oil, 1 hour, and 80 degrees C of NaOH quantity, reaction time, and temperature, respectively. The oil was then dehydrated using 10 mg Na2SO4/g oil. The bleaching process that gives maximum oil yield consisted of activated carbon at concentration of 5% (w/w), followed by centrifugation at a speed of 5000 rpm (radius = 86 mm) for 30 min. The contents of lauric acid, linoleic acid, and linolenic acid in purified oil were 28.8%, 11.1%, and 0.4%, respectively. Physicochemical properties of the refined oil included viscosity of 96 +/- 0.14 cP (measured at 20 degrees C), FFA value of 0.45 +/- 0.017%, acid value of 0.9 +/- 0.043 mg KOH g(-1), saponification value of 215.78 mg KOH g(-1), iodine value of 53.7 gI(2)/100 g, and peroxide index of 133 mEq kg(-1).