Source Year: 2013

In this study, supercritical carbon dioxide is chosen for the extraction and purification of omega-3 fatty acids from Hevea brasiliensis (rubber) oil because this method is environmental friendly and the extracted oil has improved nutritional and functional values. In addition, extraction using this method also can be prevent organic solvent residual inside the extracted oil. During the extraction using supercritical carbondioxide, the oil yield is increased with the increase of temperature and pressure. The best operating condition is pressure of 50 MPa, and temperature of 80 degree C giving 21.4714;oil yield. The analysis of fatty acids methyl esters (FAME) make it more accessible for chromatogram analysis. From the analysis, the omega-3 fatty acids inside rubber seeds oil especially alpha-linolenic acis (ALA) is the highest compare to soybean oil and olive oil. Besides this, rubber seeds oil also contains oleic acid which is omega-9 and linoleic acid is omega-6. This is the reason rubber seeds oil can be regard as oleic-linolenic seed oil. Alpha-linolenic acid is the precursor to convert polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) to docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA). Oleic acid (Omega-9) has the potential for heart protection and cancer prevention but still in the state of prove. On the other hands, the linoleic acid, the element of omega-6 has the benefits to treat to treat arthritis and autoimmune disease. Therefore, rubber seeds oil has very high potential to be developed into difference products in difference indutries such as pharmaceutical, cosmetics, oleochemical and foods.