Subcritical extraction of Salvia hispanica L. oil with n-propane: Composition, purity and oxidation stability as compared to the oils obtained by conventional solvent extraction methods

Abstract

This study evaluated the Chia (Salvia hispanica L.) oil composition in terms of fatty acids (FA), sterols, acylglycerols and oxidative stability obtained via subcritical n-propane fluid extraction (SubFE-propane), in different temperatures and pressure conditions, as compared to Bligh & Dyer (BD), Soxhlet (SE) and Folch (FLS) extractions. Total lipid varied from 23.25 to 30.21% and the best yield was obtained by both SubFE-propane extraction at 45 °C and 12 MPa (A). α-Linolenic acid (18:3n-3) was the most abundant FA and SubFE-propane extraction provided the best results for the sum of n-3 and PUFA. All oil samples were similar in regard to triacylglycerols (TAG) profiles as measured via direct electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) analysis. The total amounts of stigmasterol, β-tocopherol and tocopherol total were highest in the Chia oil obtained by BD, campesterol and sitosterol by SE and γ-tocopherol by SubFE-propane extraction. The SubFE-propane oil also presented the best (2 to 5 times) oxidation stability. SubFE-propane was the most efficient extraction method for Chia oil, providing the highest extraction yields, purity, oxidation stability and diverse profile of sterols.