Skip to main content
ARS Home » Midwest Area » Peoria, Illinois » National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research » Bio-oils Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #377665
Research Project: Development of New Value-Added Processes and Products from Advancing Oilseed Crops

Location: Bio-oils Research

Title: Euphorbia lagascae seed oil obtained by pre-pressing and solvent extraction

Author
item Evangelista, Roque
item ISBELL, TERRY - Former ARS Employee
item TODD, JIM - Omafra (ONTARIO MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE & FOOD/RURAL AFFAIRS)
item Cermak, Steven - Steve

Submitted to: Industrial Crops and Products
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/10/2022
Publication Date: 3/16/2022
Citation: Evangelista, R.L., Isbell, T.A., Todd, J., Cermak, S.C. 2022. Euphorbia lagascae seed oil obtained by pre-pressing and solvent extraction. Industrial Crops and Products. 180. Article 114799. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indcrop.2022.114799.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indcrop.2022.114799

Interpretive Summary: Euphorbia is a drought-tolerant plant commonly found in southern Europe but has also been grown in the United States and, recently, in Canada. This new crop produces seeds containing up to 50% oil which is about 2.5 times the amount compared to soybeans. With these high oil levels, the oil can be easily obtained by squeezing the seeds using a mechanical press which is one of the most economical ways to get oil from a seed. The amount of oil removed was measured under different conditions to optimize the process. This unique oil may be used as a substitute for ingredients obtained from petroleum such as in making paints, plastics, adhesives (glues), or lubricants. Successful commercialization of Euphorbia will create new demand for this unique seed oil crop and lead to improvements in the income of farmers and the rural economy.

Technical Abstract: This study evaluated the oil extraction from the Euphorbia lagascae seeds by pre-pressing followed by solvent extraction. The objective was to assess the effect of starting seed moisture content (MC) and heating temperature on oil extractability and quality of pressed and solvent-extracted oils. The expelling conditions evaluated seed moisture (5% and 10% MC) that were subjected to three temperature levels (ambient, 60 °C and 104 °C for 20 min) then screw-pressed. The press cakes were extracted with hexane using a Soxhlet extractor. Among the starting seed MC and heat treatment combinations evaluated, seeds with 5% MC and heated at 104 °C produced press cake with 16.4% oil content suitable for solvent extraction. Pre-pressing E. lagascae seeds without flaking adequately prepared the pressed cake for solvent extraction recovering 99.8% of the total oil. The combined press- and hexane-extracted oils had the lowest free fatty acid (FFA, 1.15%), diacylglycerides (DAG, 1.55%), and phospholipids (39 ppm P) contents. The vernolic acid content and the fatty acid composition of the extracted oils practically remained the same. Oil refining is necessary to reduce the FFA content and oil color to meet the specifications of the intended application.