Evaluation of some Varieties of Okra (Abelmoschusesculentus) Seed Oil for Consumption and Industrial Uses

The demand for seeds oil is rapidly increasing due to the growth of the human population and the resulting increase in its consumption for both domestic and industrial uses. Hence, seed oils from three okra (Abelmoschusesculentus) varieties – Clemson spineless, ex-Samaru and NHAE-74 were extracted and their physicochemical properties were analysed and compared with some conventional seed oils. The percentage oil yield of the seeds determined for NHAE-74 (25.67±0.58 %) is significantly higher (p < 0.05) than Clemson spineless (24.33±0.29 %) and ex-Samaru (23.05±0.50 %). The acid value (3.65±0.02, 1.96±0.01 and 2.24±0.02 mgKOH/g), Iodine Value (114.59±0.01, 110.97±0.02 and 111.67±0.02 mg/100g) and Saponification value (122.02±0.19, 130.43±0.04 and 124.82±0.02 meqKOH/kg) of Clemson spineless, ex-Samaru and NHAE-74, respectively differ significantly (p < 0.05) among the three varieties, while the peroxide value (meqKOH/kg) of Clemson spineless (3.92±0.14) is significantly lower (p < 0.05) than the values of NHAE-74 (5.33±0.14) and ex-Samaru (5.00±0.25). The results further showed that the seed oil has a quality comparable to those of conventional oils and has great nutritional and industrial potentials.