Production and characterization of crude and refined oils obtained from the co-products of Nile tilapia and hybrid sorubim processing

• Crude oil was obtained from Nile tilapia and hybrid sorubim and chemically refined.
• Acidity, peroxide, iodine, refractive, and saponification indices were measured.
• Moisture, lipid and free fatty acids contents, and density were also stated.
• Chemical refining reduced the acidity index, but favored oil oxidation.
• In most of the cases there was no change in the identity of the fish oils.

In this study, crude oil was extracted by heating and filtering of the residual fat obtained from the processing of mechanically separated meats of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) and hybrid sorubim (Pseudoplatystoma corruscans × P. fasciatum) for protein concentrate obtaining. The crude oil was refined by the following steps: degumming with 85% phosphoric acid, neutralization with 20% NaOH, washing with hot water at 85 °C, drying at 90 °C, clarification with activated charcoal and filtration with diatomaceous earth and anhydrous sodium sulfate. The quality of crude and refined oils was verified by acidity, peroxide, iodine, refractive, and saponification indexes, beyond moisture, lipid and free fatty acids contents, and density. The results show that the refining reduced the acidity index of the crude oil, however, favored the oil oxidation, as demonstrated by the increase in peroxide index. In most of the cases there was no change in the identity of the fish oils.