Aqueous enzyme assisted oil extraction from oilseeds and emulsion de-emulsifying methods: A review

• Description of aqueous and enzymatic extraction media for oilseeds.
• Discussion of possible treatments prior to and/or post enzymatic extraction.
• Discussion of factors influencing oil yield with the use of enzyme containing media.
• Description of oil characteristics obtained under various process conditions.
• Exploring enzyme recovery and recycling to improve process economics.

Regulatory, safety, and environmental issues have prompted the development of aqueous enzymatic extraction (AEE) for extracting components from oil-bearing materials. The emulsion resulting from AEE requires de-emulsification to separate the oil; when enzymes are used for this purpose, the method is known as aqueous enzymatic emulsion de-emulsification (AEED). In general, enzyme assisted oil extraction is known to yield oil having highly favourable characteristics. This review covers technological aspects of enzyme assisted oil extraction, and explores the quality characteristics of the oils obtained, focussing particularly on recent efforts undertaken to improve process economics by recovering and re-using enzymes.