Cottonseed oil: A review of extraction techniques, physicochemical, functional, and nutritional properties

Seed oils are the richest source of vitamin-E-active compounds, which contribute significantly to antioxidant activities. Cottonseed oil (CS-O) is attaining more consideration owing to its high fiber content and stability against auto-oxidation. CS-O has gained a good reputation in the global edible oil market due to its distinctive fatty acid profile, anti-inflammatory, and cardio-protective properties. CS-O can be extracted from cottonseed (CS) by microwave-assisted extraction (MAE), aqueous/solvent extraction (A/SE), aqueous ethanol extraction (A-EE), subcritical water extraction, supercritical carbon dioxide extraction (SC-CO₂), and enzyme-assisted extraction (E-AE). In this review, the importance, byproducts, physicochemical characteristics, and nutritional profile of CS-O have been explained in detail. This paper also provides a summary of scientific studies existing on functional and phytochemical characteristics of CS-O. Its consumption and health benefits are also deliberated to discover its profitability and applications. CS-O contains 26-35% saturated, 42-52% polyunsaturated, and 18-24% monounsaturated FA. There is approximately 1000 ppm of tocopherols in unprocessed CS-O, but up to one-third is lost during processing. Moreover, besides being consumed as cooking oil, CS-O discovers applications in many fields such as biofuel, livestock, cosmetics, agriculture, and chemicals. This paper provides a comprehensive review of CS-O, its positive benefits, fatty acid profile, extraction techniques, and health applications.HighlightsCS-O is a rich source of exceptional fatty acids.Various techniques to extract the CS-O are discussed.Numerous physicochemical properties of CS-O for the potential market are assessed.It has a wide range of functional properties.Nutritional quality and health benefits are also evaluated.