Effect of pectinase on the oil solvent extraction from different genotypes of sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.)

• We studied the kinetics of oil extraction from two sunflower hybrids.
• We examined the effect of pectinase on the oil extraction.
• Pectinase treatment was highly effective in the tocopherol extraction.

Pectinase-assisted solvent extraction of oil and total tocopherol from sunflower hybrids with different structural characteristics was studied by means of laboratory tests carried out in a stirred batch extractor at 50 °C. From the oil yield results obtained for the two hybrids studied, black-hull (P20) and striped-hull hybrids (ACA 884), it could be observed that oil was extracted at different rates in both hybrids. Analyzing the performance data versus time in the control samples, ACA 884 oil was released more easily and remained invariant with time, whereas for P20 the extraction was slower and the maximum value was reached at 60 min. The fiber wall structure collapsed by the enzymatic action, improving oil release and allowing a faster extraction. The efficiency of the treatment was measured in terms of the percentage of increase in oil yield compared with the control samples. It was observed that in hybrid ACA 884 the mean increases were not significantly different (p = 0.9295) over time (4.12% d.b.). Hybrid P20 showed a significant increase in the percentage of oil yield (p = 0.0001) at 10 min (10.85% d.b.), and then it remained virtually constant over time (4.89% d.b.). The black-hull hybrid (P20) presented significant differences in fatty acid composition due to the enzymatic action. Pectinase treatment was highly effective in the tocopherol extraction from hybrid P20 (p < 0.001), obtaining a 32.3% increase on average. The maximum values were 662 and 220 μg g dried ground seed−1 at 60 and 120 min for black-hull and striped-hull hybrids, respectively. The enzymatic treatment effectively produced an increase in oil and tocopherol yields for the black-hull hybrid.