Comparative evaluation of Salicornia bigelovii oil planted under different treatments

Background Assessment of the oil % in a representative sample of Salicornia bigelovii seeds with different extraction methods using some of the organic solvents to reach the best economic one and determination of the effect of S . bigelovii cultivation under different conditions of irrigation and fertilization on the percentage, composition, and nutrition value of oil were done. From the International Training Centre-Mariut, Alexandria, we obtained representative samples of Salicornia bigelovii seeds which are collected from the sea coast and 17 samples of S . bigelovii seeds which are subjected to different treatments of irrigation and fertilization. The oil % in a blank sample (B) was determined using different solvents (hexane, hexane-isopropanol, and ethanol) with variant methods (shaker, conventional, and ultrasonic). Oil % in 17 samples was evaluated by the ultrasonic probe technique using ethanol. The oil composition was determined in all samples by GC analysis. The phenolic and flavonoid contents in the residue were determined with the Folin-Ciocalteu reagent and colorimetric method, respectively. Results The ethanol has higher extraction efficiency and the ultrasonic probe recovered higher oil % in the blank sample. Seventeen samples of S . bigelovii cultivated under different combined treatments of fertilization and irrigation recorded oil % less than the blank sample. The fatty acids profile cleared that the oil of cultivated samples (17 samples) had power for biodiesel production with high ignition properties and good stability due to the high cetane number and a high percentage of palmitic acid. The nutrition value of the blank sample is higher than that of the other 17 samples. The polyunsaturated fatty acids in the blank sample represent > 63% of the total fatty acids. Conclusion The different combined treatments of fertilization and irrigation of S . bigelovii changed the fatty acid profiles of all samples, palmitic, stearic, oleic, and linoleic acids were recognized as the most abundant saturated fatty acids. The total phenolic and flavonoid contents differed in the sample to another one but less than their contents in the blank sample.