Increasing Yield of Candlenut Oil from Candlenut Kernel (Aleurites moluccana, variety of Aceh) Through Double-Step Pressing with Fermentation of The First Cake Using Aspergillus niger which Integrated with Production of Protein Hydrolysate from The Second Cake Pressing

• Main Author: Nurasri D. Purboyo, Dyah
• Format: Final Project
• Language: Indonesia
• Online Access: https://digilib.itb.ac.id/gdl/view/42198
• Institution: Institut Teknologi Bandung

The candlenut (Aleurites moluccana) oils widely use for personal care such as hair treatment in Indonesia. This oil contains unsaturated acids that can penetrate through the skin and act as a moisturizer. The most common process of the candlenut oil production is single-step pressing which has low efficiency. The Aleurites moluccana kernel contains approximately 56.3%-60.0% oil, 20.0%-26.96% protein and 16.74%-20% are fiber and mineral. The double-step pressing and cake-fermentation process using Aspergillus niger was studied to increase the oil yield of the candlenut kernel. Enzymatic hydrolysis of protein of the candlenut cake resulted from the second compression which has the highest protein content and control was also carried out. The candlenut kernel from Aceh, Indonesia pressed before (at 1.3 MPa; 25 oC; and 10 min) and after (at 1.3 MPa; 60 oC; and 10 min) the candlenut cake fermentation process using Aspergillus niger with three variations of incubation time: 3, 6, and 9 days. The highest total oil yield of 48.93% on a dry basis of kernel (or the oil recovery of 78.628%) was obtained when the incubation time is 6 days. While the highest protein content of the cake was 59,60% on a dry basis of cake obtained when the incubation time is 9 days and protein hydrolysate yield was 36% on a dry basis of the second cake. The fermentation didn’t make any significant increase of the oil yield, but increased protein content significantly. The suggestion for the candlenut oil production process is to apply double-step pressing followed by fermentation which increases the protein content of the cake, then the fermented processed into protein hydrolysate.