Author(s)

Edouard Mbarick Ndiaye^1*, Alioune Sow², Papa Guédel Faye¹, Kalidou Ba¹, Mouhamed Ndoye¹, Omar Ibn Khatab Cisse³, Nicolas Cyrille Ayessou^1,4, Mady Cisse^1,4

¹Laboratory of Water Energy Environment and Industrial Processes (LE3PI), ESP-UCAD, Dakar, Senegal.
²Laboratoire of Biological, Agronomic, Food Sciences and Modeling of Complex Systems (LABAAM), UFR of Agronomic Sciences, Aquaculture and Food Technologies (S2ATA), Gaston Berger University of Saint-Louis, Saint-Louis, Senegal.
³National School of Agriculture, University Iba Der Thiam of Thiès, Thiès, Senegal.
⁴Center of Studies on Food Security and Functional Molecules (CESAM-RESCIF), ESP-UCAD, Dakar, Senegal.

The baobab, Adansonia digitata L., plays an important role in the economy of local populations. Nowadays, baobab seed oil is highly prized for its many cosmetic and therapeutic applications, and for its composition of unsaturated fatty acids, sterols, and tocopherols. However, it undergoes numerous reactions during production, processing, transport, and storage, leading to undesirable products that make it unstable. The aim of this study was to provide local processors with innovative solutions for the treatment of unrefined vegetable oils. To this end, an experimental device for filtering crude oil on activated carbon made from fruit capsules was designed. The results obtained after the treatment show a significant decrease at (p < 5%) in acid value (1.62 to 0.58 mg KOH/g), peroxide value (4.40a to 0.50c mEqO₂/Kg), chlorophyll concentration (1.81 to 0.50 mg/Kg) and primary and secondary oxidation products. According to these results, activated carbon’s adsorptive power eliminates oxidation products and certain pro-oxidants such as chlorophyll, resulting in a cleaner, more stable and better storable oil.

Activated Carbon, Adansonia digitata L., Baobab Fruit, Baobab Oil, Stability

Ndiaye, E. , Sow, A. , Faye, P. , Ba, K. , Ndoye, M. , Cisse, O. , Ayessou, N. and Cisse, M. (2024) Improving the Quality of Baobab Oil by Filtration on Activated Carbon from the Fruit Capsules. Journal of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering, 12, 69-83. doi: 10.4236/msce.2024.121006.