Evaluation of physicochemical and biological properties of python fat (Python bivittatus)

Abstract

The main aim of this study was to determine python fat’s several physicochemical properties, including dimensions, color, structure, acid value (AV), saponification value (SV), density, and recovery efficiency. The optimum yield obtained was approximately 80.40% at 180°C for 60 min with an AV of 0.3366 and SV of 179.56 mg KOH/g. Fatty acids, comprising oleic acid (72.462%), palmitic acid (26.243%), linolenic acid (0.835%), and myristic acid (0.459%), were identified using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The python fat had a very weak antioxidant capacity and almost no antibacterial ability with gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus - ATCC 25923 and Bacillus cereus - ATCC 10876) and gram-negative (Escherichia coli - ATCC 25922 and Salmonella enterica - ATCC 35664) bacteria (used the paper disc diffusion method for antibiotic susceptibility testing). Moreover, python fat is considered to be very resistant to high temperatures.