Enzyme-assisted extraction of rapeseed oil with minimum water addition: a proof-of-concept study

The increased demand for vegetable oils calls for new strategies for enhancing the yield of mechanical oil extraction, preferably without the use of potentially hazardous solvents such as n-hexane. Enzyme-assisted oil extraction has been studied under aqueous conditions, where the oil recovery was enhanced due to the partial enzymatic breakdown of cell wall compounds. However, this process is often not feasible for industrial applications, where mechanical pressing of dry seeds is implemented. This study provides a proof-of-concept for enzyme-assisted rapeseed oil extraction with minimum water addition (1 mL per 100 g rapeseeds). The application of cellulytic and pectolytic enzymes increased the reducing sugar content as a result of the carbohydrate breakdown. The oil recovery in the mechanical pressing was increased significantly from similar to 60% to similar to 65%, and the quality of the oils was not significantly affected by the enzyme treatment.