Cold pressed versus solvent extracted lemon (Citrus limon L.) seed oils: yield and properties

During the processing of lemon fruit, a large quantity of seeds is produced as a by-product. These seeds contain valuable components; therefore, required to be evaluated. This study aimed to compare the cold pressed with hexane-extracted lemon seed oils and determine their physicochemical and thermal properties. Cold pressing yielded significantly lower oil (36.84%) than hexane extraction (71.29%). In addition, the concentrations of free fatty acids, peroxides, and p-anisidine were lower in the cold pressed oil. Cold pressed oil showed higher total phenolics, α-tocopherol and antioxidant capacity. The major fatty acids found in the cold pressed oil were linoleic and palmitic acids, whereas β-sitosterol and campesterol were the dominant sterols. The crystallization and melting temperatures and enthalpies were also elucidated. In conclusion, this study proved that high quality of lemon seed oils can be produced by the cold pressing technique; this oil can be used in industries such as the food, cosmetic or chemical industries.