Physicochemical Characteristics of  Malaysian  Crude Palm Kernel Oil

Darﬁzzi Derawi; Murad Bahadi; Mohamad Firdaus Mohamad Yusoff; Jumat Salimon; Majd Ahmed Jumaah

Darﬁzzi Derawi Laboratory for Biolubricant, Biofuels and Bioenergy Research, Centre for Advanced Materials and Renewable Resources, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 UKM Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia
Murad Bahadi Laboratory for Biolubricant, Biofuels and Bioenergy Research, Centre for Advanced Materials and Renewable Resources, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 UKM Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia
Mohamad Firdaus Mohamad Yusoff Laboratory for Biolubricant, Biofuels and Bioenergy Research, Centre for Advanced Materials and Renewable Resources, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 UKM Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia
Jumat Salimon Laboratory for Biolubricant, Biofuels and Bioenergy Research, Centre for Advanced Materials and Renewable Resources, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 UKM Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia
Majd Ahmed Jumaah Laboratory for Biolubricant, Biofuels and Bioenergy Research, Centre for Advanced Materials and Renewable Resources, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 UKM Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia

Keywords: crude palm kernel oil; physicochemical characteristic; triacylglycerol profile; fatty acid composition; thermal behaviour

Abstract

This study was carried out to determine the physicochemical properties of Malaysian crude palm kernel oil (CPKO). The physicochemical properties showed that the free fatty acid (FFA%) of 3.7±0.1%, acid value of 10.4±0.1 mg/g, iodine value of 20.8±0.6 mg/g, hydroxyl value of 45.06±0.3 mg/g, refractive index at 28°C of g/ml, 1.455, moisture content of 0.5±0.1%, viscosity at 28°C of 40 cP, Lovibond colour (R/Y) at 28°C of 0.5R–20Y. The gas chromatography-ﬂame ionisation detector was used to determine the fatty acid composition in CPKO. The results showed that the dominant fatty acids are lauric acid (44.5±0.7%), oleic acid (18.0±0.5%), myristic acid (16.9±0.1%) and palmitic acid (9.4±0.2%). The major triacylglycerols (TAGs) of CPKO estimated using high-performance liquid chromatography were LaLaLa (32.91%), LaLaM (23.59), LaOLa (9.93%) and CLaLa (9.10%). The differential scanning calorimetry showed that the crystallisation of CPKO displayed two major exothermic regions of CPKO with the saturated TAG at 6.11°C and the unsaturated TAG at -2.10°C. The melting curve of CPKO displayed two endothermic peak regions at 9.13°C and 24.08°C.