Improvement of efficiency of oil extraction from wild apricot kernels by using enzymes.
An experiment was conducted to evaluate and standardize the protocol for enhancing recovery of oil and quality from cold pressed wild apricot kernels by using various enzymes. Wild apricot kernels were ground into powder in a grinder. Different lots of 3 kg powdered kernel were prepared and treated with different concentrations of enzyme solutions viz. Pectazyme (Pectinase), Mashzyme (Cellulase) and Pectazyme + Mashzyme. Kernel powder mixed with enzyme solutions were kept for 2 h at 50(±2) °C temperature for enzymatic treatment before its use for oil extraction through oil expeller. Results indicate that use of enzymes resulted in enhancement of oil recovery by 9.00-14.22 %. Maximum oil recovery was observed at 0.3-0.4 % enzyme concentration for both the enzymes individually, as well as in combination. All the three enzymatic treatments resulted in increasing oil yield. However, with 0.3 % (Pectazyme + Mashzyme) combination, maximum oil recovery of 47.33 % could be observed against were 33.11 % in control. The oil content left (wasted) in the cake and residue were reduced from 11.67 and 11.60 % to 7.31 and 2.72 % respectively, thus showing a high increase in efficiency of oil recovery from wild apricot kernels. Quality characteristics indicate that the oil quality was not adversely affected by enzymatic treatment. It was concluded treatment of powdered wild apricot kernels with 0.3 % (Pectazyme + Mashzyme) combination was highly effective in increasing oil recovery by 14.22 % without adversely affecting the quality and thus may be commercially used by the industry for reducing wastage of highly precious oil in the cake.
Department of Horticulture, GB Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Hill Campus Ranichauri, Pantnagar, Uttarakhand 263 145 India.
Tejpal Singh
TS
Bisht
Department of Food Science and Technology, College of Agriculture, GB Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar, Uttarakhand 263 145 India.
Satish Kumar
SK
Sharma
Department of Horticulture, GB Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Hill Campus Ranichauri, Pantnagar, Uttarakhand 263 145 India.
Ramesh Chandra
RC
Sati
Department of Horticulture, GB Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Hill Campus Ranichauri, Pantnagar, Uttarakhand 263 145 India.
Virendra Kumar
VK
Rao
Department of Horticulture, GB Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Hill Campus Ranichauri, Pantnagar, Uttarakhand 263 145 India.
Vijay Kumar
VK
Yadav
Central Institute of Postharvest Engineering and Technology, Ludhiana, Punjab 141 004 India.
Anil Kumar
AK
Dixit
Department of Vegetable Science, College of Agriculture, GB Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar, Uttarakhand 263 145 India.
Ashok Kumar
AK
Sharma
Department of Food Science and Technology, College of Agriculture, GB Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar, Uttarakhand 263 145 India.
Chandra Shekhar
CS
Chopra
Acid value; Iodine value; Mashzyme; Pectazyme; Refractive index; Saponification value; Wild apricot