CHARACTERIZATION OF PHYSICOCHEMICAL PROPERTIES AND BIOACTIVE COMPOUNDS OF OIL FROM NASCENT SEEDS OF AZADIRACHTA INDICA

Depending on composition, fatty acids of plant sources are explicitly useful in food, chemical and pharmaceutical industries. The present study characterizes Soxhlet extracted neem seed oil by determination of physicochemical properties and bioactive compounds. Extraction involved the use of solvent semi-continuous extraction method for 6 hours with N-hexane. Percentage Oil yield was at 39. Saponification value (50.490mgKOH/g), Iodine value (50.28g/100g), Acid value (5.610mgKOH/g), Free fatty acid (2.805w/w), Peroxide value (62.75meq/kg) and Specific gravity (0.948) were determined. Density at 250C, Flash point, boiling point, melting point, colour and Odour provided supportive information to the major physicochemical properties analyzed. Gas Chromatography - Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) of the Soxhlet extracted Neem Seed oil showed different peak values of industrially essential compounds such as 7-Pentadecyne, Glycidyl palmitate, Oleic Acid, 9,12-Octadecadienoic acid and methyl ester (Omega-6 acid). Saponification value was found to be high, suggesting the presence of FFA with low molecular weight, which brands the oil as essential in cosmetic and food industries. Low Iodine value and low total acidity seems to consolidate the usefulness of neem seed oil in cosmetic industries. Conversely, the high peroxide level makes it unsuitable for cooking. It may therefore be inferred that Soxhlet extracted Azadirachta indica seed may be industrially viable but less suitable for consumption.