Comparative Analysis of Gac (Momordica Cochinchinensis Spreng) Seed Kernels Oil Extract with Palm and Olive Oils: a focus on Fatty Acids & Antioxidants Activity

Mohamadein, Menatalla Ali Sobhy (2025) Comparative Analysis of Gac (Momordica Cochinchinensis Spreng) Seed Kernels Oil Extract with Palm and Olive Oils: a focus on Fatty Acids & Antioxidants Activity. Final Year Project (Bachelor), Tunku Abdul Rahman University of Management and Technology.

Text MENATALLA ALI SOBHY MOHAMADEIN_Full Text.pdf Restricted to Registered users only Download (4MB)

Abstract

Gac (Momordica cochinchinensis Spreng) is a tropical fruit known for its rich nutritional and medicinal properties. This study aims to address the gap by focusing on oil extraction from Gac seeds by Soxhlet apparatus and investigating the presence of bioactive compounds such as fatty acids and antioxidants in the oil while comparing the results with commercial olive and palm oils. Gac seed kernels oil was extracted by soxhlet apparatus. Percentage yield, phenolics, flavonoids, and antioxidant activity were analyzed using the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,2'-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) diammonium salt (ABTS) assays and compared with commercial oils. The Soxhlet extraction method yielded 33.89 ± 1.23 of Gac seed kernels oil, which was analyzed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) to determine its fatty acid composition. Gac seed kernels oil was found to contain the highest fatty acid values of 33.59% linolenic acid and 27.09% stearic acid while olive oil had 60.88% of oleic acid and palm oil had 44.34% and 33.86 % of oleic acid and palmitic acid respectively. The Gac seed kernels oil showed the highest phenolic content (0.023 ± 0.03 mg GAE/g dry extract) and total flavonoid content (0.013 ± 0.03 mg QE/g dry extract) indicating a rich presence of antioxidant compounds. Antioxidant activity was further confirmed by DPPH and ABTS assays, where Gac seed kernels oil showed 0.0026 ± 0.01 and 0.0086 mg ± 0.02 GAE/g dry extract respectively. The oil product produced can be used to reduce the waste burden on the environment and add value to the Gac fruit. The oil extracted from Gac seed kernels was found to be rich in linolenic and stearic acids and demonstrated significantly higher phenolic and flavonoid content compared to commercial olive and palm oils. In future, alternative extraction methods should be explored and further studies should be done by expanding analysis of other bioactive compounds in Gac seed kernels oil, like carotenoids to fully understand mechanisms at play and to explore other potential health benefits, thus broadening the scope of its practical uses.