Date Received: 26-02-2021 / Date Accepted: 20-04-2021
Bitter melon seeds are rich in α-eleostearic acid (C18:3 9c11t13t). α-eleostearic acid with its conjugated double bonds may provide many potential health benefits, including anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor, anti-obesity and anti-diabetic effects. This study aimed to characterize bitter melon seeds of Prền pà tăng variety in Vietnam and to investigate the physicochemical properties of bitter melon seed oil extracted with ethyl acetate. The bitter melon seed oil extraction was optimized by using the response surface methodology. The results showed that the bitter melon seeds accounted for 3.93% of fruit weight, the seed with a high percentage of hull at 36.56%, the oil in seed kernel was 46.56%. The optimum extract condition of seed oil was ethyl acetate with solid/solvent ratio: 1/10, at 52C for 30 min. The experimental results properly conformed to the constructed model (R2 = 0.82). The bitter melon oil had the peroxide and free fatty acid index of 0.85 meq O2/kg oil and 2.93mg KOH/g oil, respectively. Vicine content in oil was 8.82 µg/g oil, which is safe forfood, pharmaceutical and cosmetic applications.
