Effect of Extraction and Solvent Removal Methods on Oil Yield of Sterculia quadrifida R.Br Seeds

¹ Theophane Venard School of Food Biotechnology and Innovation, Assumption University, Bangkok, Thailand
² Agricultural Technology Faculty, Artha Wacana Christian University, Kupang, Indonesia

^* Corresponding author: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Abstract

Oil yield obtained from plant materials can be influenced by both extraction techniques and solvent removal processes. Sterculia quadrifida R.Br seeds have potential as an alternative source of vegetable oil source. However, limited information is available regarding how different extraction evaporation combinations influence oil recovery efficiency. This study compared oil yield obtained from Sterculia quadrifida R.Br seeds using two extraction methods combined with different solvent removal techniques: Soxhlet extraction followed by rotary evaporation and maceration followed by distillation. Extraction was performed using n-hexane and oil yield was calculated based on dry sample weight. Each experiment was conducted in triplicate and analyzed using an independent sample t-test. The maceration-distillation method produced an oil yield of 30.95 ± 0.68%, while Soxhlet-rotary evaporation method yielded 30.65 ± 1.00%. Statistical analysis showed no significant difference between two methods (p > 0.05), indicating comparable extraction efficiency. The result suggests that oil recovery is not solely determined by extraction temperature or duration but also by solvent material interaction time and evaporation conditions. This study provides preliminary quantitative evidence that different combinations of extraction and solvent removal techniques may produce similar oil yields, offering flexibility in process selection depending on operational considerations.