Spectroscopic Analysis of Oil Extracted from Seeds of Hildegardia barteri (Mast.kosterm)

Though, there has been alarming concern for increase in environmental pollution from domestic and industrial use of fossil fuel but all hands have been on deck to ensure provision of measures that will mitigate through different researches. Replacement of fossil fuel combustion with bio-resources products has been a sustainable measure. In this study, sun-dried and oven-dried seeds of Hildegardia barteri (mast.) Kosterm were subjected to mechanical and n-hexane solvent extraction of oil content. Extracted oil samples were spectroscopically analyzed to detect the possible functional group using Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectrometer so as to explore its domestic and industrial use. Results from this study shows that all Hildegardia barteri oil samples had a prevalence of single bond compounds which suggests more of saturated fatty acids. The presence of aliphatic amine group in oven-dried solvent extracted (OD+SE) sample distinct it from other samples; sun-dried solvent extracted (SD+SE) sample, was characterized with presence of sulphate group and an unidentified group; the presence of phosphate group in sundried mechanical extracted (SD+ME) oil and oven-dried and mechanical extracted (OD+ME) sample has nitrile group and also unidentified group which indicates the presence of undesirable impurities proves the necessity for degumming or refining of oil. The mechanically extracted H. barteri oil samples were observed to have more impurities than the solvent extracted oil which could have resulted from contamination during handling and extraction processes. However, there were prevalence of alcohol (O-H), alkane (C-H), alkyne (C≡H), aldehyde (C-O stretch), esters (C-O), ether (CO- C) and carboxylic acids (C-O) in all oil samples of H. barteri as observed from the spectra analysis. The results indicate stability of the oil but a need for further refining when there is need for industrial applicability.