Extraction and Physicochemical Characterization of Oil from the Seeds of Chrysophyllumalbidum for Pharmaceutical Applications

Natural materials from animals, plants, and soil are enriched with numerous chemical components including oils. Oilcan be derived from plant parts such as Chrysophyllumalbidum seeds, a typically edible fruit tree belonging to the family Sepotaceae. The oil was extracted from the plant seed by solvent extraction method using n-hexane. The yield of the oil was about 3.84%, and it appeared liquid and dark brown in color at atmospheric temperature (29 ? 35OC), with a pH5.5?0.09, viscosity 2.14?0.15Cp, and specific gravity 0.9?0.07g/cm3. The oil has a percentage free fatty acid content of 0.137?0.10, saponification value 192?0.12MEq/KOH/g and acid value of 54.42?0.10mg/KOH/g. Proximate principles? reveals the oil to have high lipid content of 89.9% with low fiber and ash content of 0.3% and 0.4% respectively. Elemental analysis of the oil denotes high content of potassium but absence of lead and other deleterious materials. Exposure of the oil to some microbes shows susceptibility of the test organisms with inhibition effect onE. coli (23.8mm), P. vulgaris (26.5mm), P. aerugnosa (28.2mm), S. aureus (30.1) and K. pneumonia (19.5mm).