Physico-chemical characteristics and oxidative stability of oils from different Peruvian castor bean ecotypes

The aim of this research was to assess the physico-chemical properties and shelf-life of oils press-extracted at two temperatures (60°C and 80°C) from five Peruvian castor bean ecotypes. A wide variation for all traits was observed. Low acidity index, low peroxide index and absence of p-anisidine were recorded. The total tocopherol contents ranged from 798 to 1040 mg/kg. A higher antioxidant capacity was detected in methanolic extracts than in hexane extract. From the Rancimat performed at 150-170°C, the predicted shelf-life at 25°C ranged from 0.15 to 8.93 years; the higher extraction temperature led to a longer shelf-life, probably because of enzyme inactivation.