Processing and characterisation of low cost Balistid fish Sufflamen capistratus liver oil for edible purpose

The physico-chemical properties of liver oil from low cost Balistid fish Sufflamen capistratus extracted by Soxhlet, Bligh and Dyer, direct steaming, solar extraction and Mc Gill and Moffat methods were assessed. The oil yield was high (70.3%) in Soxhlet method when compared with other methods. The physical properties such as solidification point, melting point, refractive index and moisture content of the extracted oil samples were differed between methods. The chemical properties like the acid value, free fatty acid (FFA) level and carotenoid content of the individual oil samples were showed extraction methods dependant variation. Fatty acid content was also showed variation between methods; polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) content was high (23.07%) in Bligh and Dyer method. In all the oil samples, fat soluble vitamin K was more when compared with the other tested vitamins. Irrespective of methods of extraction, permissible level of heavy metals and minerals were recorded in the oil samples.