EXTRACTION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF FIXED OIL FROM SPINACIA OLERACEA SEEDS: PHYSICOCHEMICAL PROPERTIES AND BIOACTIVE COMPOUNDS
Keywords:
Spinacia oleracea seed oil, Bioactive compounds, Physicochemical properties, Oil extraction, Nutritional benefitsAbstract
Spinacia oleracea, commonly known as spinach, is a green, leafy vegetable belonging to the family Amaranthaceae. Spinach seed oil is rich in essential nutrients, making it beneficial for skin and hair health, particularly in addressing damage, aging, and brittleness. This oil contains a diverse range of vitamins and antioxidants crucial for overall well-being. Given its nutritional significance, extensive research has been conducted on this plant.
The present study focuses on the extraction and characterization of fixed oil from Spinacia oleracea seeds. The extraction process using n-hexane yielded 4.15% oil. The obtained oil was further analyzed for various physicochemical properties, including refractive index, color, saponification value, iodine value, free fatty acid content, and peroxide value.
Analysis on GCMS revealed the presence of multiple bioactive compounds, such as Cedren-13- ol, 2-butyl-1-octanol, octadecanoic acid (2-oxo-, methyl ester), hexadecenoic acid (methyl ester), 1-hexadecanol (2-methyl-), 9-octadecenoic acid (Z, methyl ester), 10-octadecenoic acid (methyl
ester), heptadecanoic acid (16-methyl-, methyl ester), 4-octadecenal, 13-methyltetradec-9-enoic acid (methyl ester), phthalic acid (di(6-methylhept-2-yl) ester), and 2,6,10-dodecatrienoic acid (3,7,11-trimethyl-methyl ester).
The high degree of unsaturation in the extracted oil highlights its potential for edible applications and nutritional benefits.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Madiha Batool, Fareed Ahmad, Ume Kalsoom, Asim Ali, Najeeb Ullah, Nasir Khan, Hamad Ahmad, Syed Ahmad Raza , Bokhari, Hafiz Muhammad Faizan Haider, Ejaz Ahmad, Abdul Shakoor, Majid Nazir, Razia Batoola, Sehar Ashraf, Uzman Khana, Syed Sibt-E-Hassan Kazmi (Author)
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