Quality of residual oil from palm-pressed mesocarp fiber (Elaeis guineensis) using supercritical CO2 with and without ethanol

The qualities of oils extracted from fresh and dried palm-pressed mesocarp fiber were evaluated. The means of extraction included conventional solvent extraction and supercritical carbon dioxide (SC-CO2) extraction with and without addition of ethanol. Extraction efficiency using pure SC-CO2 and the effect of moisture content on efficiency were studied. Minor components, such as vitamin E, carotenoids, squalene and phytosterols, obtained by different methods were compared. The quality of oil recovered from fresh palm-pressed fiber is generally better than that of oil recovered from dried fiber. The SC-CO2 extraction rate was lower for fresh fiber than for dried fiber. The incorporation of ethanol with SC-CO2 resulted in oil with higher oxidative stability than did SC-CO2 alone. Concentrations of minor components and the acylglycerol compositions of the oils extracted from both types of fibers were similar.