Extraction of Oil From African Star Apple (Chrysophyllum Africanum) Seed Using Solvent Extraction
CHAPTER ONE
AIM AND OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY
The objective and aim of this Project is to extract the oil of African Star Apply (Chrysophyllum africanum) seed using sochlet extraction and to evaluate its potential as a raw material in cosmetic and paint industry.
CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW
The genus, chrysophyllum africanum of the family sapotacoae include several species of tropical evergreen trees and shrubs; mostly with either gray or rusty hairs under the leaves. These are spaced out along the branch lets. Tiny flowers are chistered in the exiles of the leaves or at the leafless modes on the rather older parts of the branch lets with five (5) sepals, five (5) petals and the corolla tube carrying the five (5) stamens. There are no cetaloid appendage or slaminoids; latex from the stems of several species is used as bird-time and the immature fruits also exude latex. Chrysophyllum africanum is planted and preserved for its fruits (Nwadinigwe, 1982).
Chrysophyllum africanum, which has golden crown hairs under its leaves, has fruits covered with rust brown felt and yellowish-pink or red flesh inside. The tree grows up to about 70ft to 100ft high, with small buttresses, bole straight fluted, bark gray and riddget slash thin, darkening to orange-brown, crown spreading, foliagedense, branch lets and petioles dense, leaves reddish, yellow below, 12 x 14in, elongated obovate elliptic to oblancoviate, acuminate, veins prominent below, flowers (April, May). Small, creamy white, fruits (July) 2½x 2 in) rusty-brown, soon becoming glabrous and ovoid-globose reddish orange, ends pointed like small cocoa pod, milky when unripe. Chrysophyllum africanum bears edible fruits with large berries containing five (5) flattened seed, the fruits are large and more than 4cm wide. It is often cultivated for its edible fruits, the pulp having a pleasant acid taste, (Okafor, 1981).
It is fine drained, hard and tough, polish well and is used in carrying and turnery. The seeds yield edible oil which is used in making soap. The latex is used as hir-lime, the tree is also used medically on the Ivory-coast for curing Jaundice, probably a superstitious use (Kerhard and bouquet). The bark is also used medically and often sold in market; the tree is widely grown for this purpose. In many cases, there are no substitutes to the use of traditional accepted species. The ceremonies and functions in which this local food tree feature prominently include native – marriages, wedding, burial, naming, outing of maidens and several customary festivity to community. (Irune, 1986).
LAND USE
TRADITIONAL FARMING SYSTEM
Other things they play apart from food and animal feed includes:
- Soil conservation and fertility maintenance
- Mulch material
States and structural materials
- Farming implements and utensils and
- Boundary plants.
Most farms operated by small holders in the Nigeria forest zone consist of:
- Compound farms
- Outlying farms.
COMPOUND FARMS
Close to home stead which are intensively cultivated with annual staples and many perennial crops in mixed culture.
OUTLYING FARMS
Consisting of different field system with varying periods of fallow and intensities of cropping, located at varying distances from the homestead, (Okigbo, 1989).
In the Eastern States of Nigeria, the compound farm system is complex and highly developed, but it is less developed in Bendel States and virtually non-existence in the Western States. Edible indigenous woody plants associated with these farming systems include wide, semi-wide or protected and cultivated plan (Okigbo, 1989, Okafor, 1981b). Those in the wide category are commonly found in the fallow of outlying farms having been initially recruited during bush clearing, they include chrysophyllumafricanum,vitex, doniana,xyhopia spp. The semi-wide edible woody plants represent those that arise from natural regeneration, which are protected, and are abundant in areas more or less close to the compound farms
PROPAGATION TECHNIQUES/PLANTING
For chrysophyllum africanum to be planted, large-scale production of fruit tress is required for the development of nursery procedures involving the use of seeds or vegetative propagation, either for the production stock plants to be used for budding (bubgrafting) or for seeding trees to be out planted. For example, in Nigeria, standard nursery practices have been developed for several, species including Darryodes edulis, Treculia africana etc. (Okafor, 1981 a, 1990 b). According to Professor J. C. Okafor, it has been found that chrysophyllum africanum can be successfully propagated by budding.
CHAPTER THREE
METHODOLOGY
The sample of this African Star Apple is collected, washed and the seed coat removed. The seed is then sun dried for three (3) days, and then reduced to power form in a grinding machine.
MATERIALS FOR THE PROJECT
- Soxxhlet extractor
- Leig big Con denser
- Drier, filter paper
- Thermometer
- Grinding machine
- Tap water
- Bursen burner
- Dessicator
- Round bottom flask; Hexane
METHOD
The sample (Grinded Udala seed) is placed in a porous thimble, made of porous porcelain. The solvent (Hexane) is pour into the sexhlet flask where heat is introduced. The solvent then boiled and the vapour reaches the condenser via tube D. The vapour being cooled condensed and the liquids falls into the thimble and eventually fill the chamber and siphons out through the back into the flask.
The sample is covered with filter paper. When the liquid falls into the thimble, it extracts the oil in the sample and later siphon out through the back into the soxhlet flask containing the solvent (Hexane).
The process is the continuous until all the oil in the sample is extracted.
CHAPTER FOUR
RESULTS
After the extraction of oil from the African Star Apple (Udala), the following results is recorded:
Weight of empty flask (A) = 134.5g
Weight of sample (B) = 90g
Weight of empty flask + oil = 139.7g
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY/DISCUSSION
So far, an attempt has been made to determine the quantity and quality of African Star Apple, that is the oil extracted from it. The African Star Apple, which belongs to the family sopotacea is found in different parts of the world. It habitat is usually on riverside in closed forest, and often planted in villages. It is a medium sized, evergreen tree that bears edible fruits.
The seed of African Star Apple is usually propagated. It is used in making soap both solid and liquid. It is also used in carving and turnery. The bark and latex are used as birdlime and medically. The oil of Chrysophyllum Africanum is usually extracted through solvent extraction, and in order for the oil to be plentiful even in the time of scarcity, some storage techniques and utilization has been developed. Investigation shows that it can be carried out into bottling the fresh fruits in syrup and in the form of Jams and fellios, so “Udala” jam can be obtain, made from chrysophyllum africanum.
Economic prospects of the African star apple have increased tremendously as a result of the recent discovery by “Anazonwu” that they are excellent for jam production.
CONCLUSION
In conclusion, chrysophyllum africanum is an invaluable and priceless seed. It is fine-grained, hard and polishes well. It is edible and sometimes used for making soap. The back is a medically petent drug. The method of extraction comprises the chemical and the physical, which shows that alternative methods of extraction are available.
In the methodology of extraction, we require few materials. Due to its small quantity produced when small quantity of the seed is used we require many tons of the seed because its oil has diverse uses.
Conclusively, we can say that oil from African Star Apple may not be used efficiently as a raw material.
RECOMMENDATIONS
It should be of note that the prospects of the African star apple have increased tremendously as a result of recent discovery by (Anazonwu, 1981). This has gone a long way to show that they are good for raw material production but only in large quantities. On the other hand, it is also recommended that other resources should be diversified. Other sources of extraction should be gotten and used. These include palm oil, palm kernel etc.
REFERENCES
- Ajewde, K and A. Adeyeye (1991): Seed Oil of White star apple (Chrysophyllum africanum). Physiochemical Characteristics and Fatty Acid Composition – J. sci. Food Agric, 54, 313 – 315.
- Anazonwu, J. N. (1981): Indigenous Foods and Nutritional Adequacy (Symposium Order of Indigenous Technology, Enugu, Ministry of Science and Technology (Unpublished).
- Edem, D. O., O. U. Eka and E. T. Ifon (1984): “Chemical Evaluation of the Nutritive Value of the First of Africa Star Apple (Chrysophyllum africanum) Food Chem. 14, 303 – 311.
- Iruine, F. R. (1986): Woody Plants of Ghana with Special references to there uses 35, 284 – 289.
- Nwadinigwe, C. A. (1982): Nutritional Value and Mineral Contents of (Chrysophyllum africanum) Fruits” Science Food, Agric 33, 283 – 286.
- Okafor, J. C. (1981): “The Place of Wide Uncultivated Fruits and Vegetables”. Nig. Diet Proc. Nat – Seminar on Fruits and Vegetables. Ibadan – 13 – 17 Oct., Okigbo, M. C. (1989): Cropping and Relative Research in Africa Occasional Publications Series, Oti, pp. 22 – 23.
