Less privileged edible oil source Balanites aegyptiaca (L) Del. morphotypes and physicochemical properties

To feed up the world's growing population and adapt to the global pandemic it is necessary to explore more sites of food including the unconventional sources of food and food ingredients. The objective of this study is to evaluate the physicochemical parameters of oil from three morphotypes of Balanites aegyptiaca fruit obtained from the Maradi local market, Niger. These samples were used for the extraction of the oil by using two extraction methods namely mechanical and solvent (n-hexane). A one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was performed for each of the variables to carry out a statistical analysis of the results obtained. The parameters such as iodine index, peroxide index, acid value, saponification value, and fatty acid profile were determined using standard methods described in the literature. Relative density and moisture content were also quantified. The results revealed that the iodine index ranged between 85.78±1.12 to 98.90±1.61 gI₂/100 g oil which falls within the standard of edible oil. Moreover, the data from the peroxide index, water content, and fatty acid composition confirmed the quality of B. aegyptiaca oil, and it is said to have similarities with argan (Argania spinosa L.) oil. The results obtained for the relative density ranged between 0.84 to 0.97 and the saponification index values ​​of the samples are in the range of 170.29±17.81 to 195.47±9.02 mg KOH/g. It can be concluded that this oil conforms to the standard of edible vegetable oil and can be recommended for general consumption.