Scholars International Journal of Chemistry and Material Sciences (SIJCMS)
Volume-9 | Issue-01 | 54-60
Original Research Article
Extraction and Physicochemical Properties of Pumpkin (Cucurbita moschata) Seed Oil as a Renewable Source for Biodiesel Production
Sarah O Alhassan, Mohamed E Osman, Alabied O Hammad, Lubna A Abdelmalik
Published : Feb. 17, 2026
Abstract
In this study, oil was experimentally extracted from pumpkin seeds (Cucurbita moschata) using a chemical Soxhlet extraction, cold solvent extraction and mechanical pressing. The Percentage yields were found to be 39.5%, 30.2%, 26% respectively. The physicochemical properties were determined according to AOAC, AOCS and ASTM standards. Free fatty acids content of the oil was found to be 1.2% as oleic acid, acid value )2.4 mg KOH/g(, peroxide value )6.77 meq O₂/kg oil(, saponification value )191.09 mg KOH/g oil(, iodine value )104.81 g I₂/100 g(, density )0.931 g/ml( at 25°C, kinematic viscosity )48.05 cst (at 40°C. The color of pumpkin seed oil was greenish brown, pH) 6(, cloud point )-5 °C(, refractive index )1.471(, water content )1.95%(. Additionally, the elements in the oil were determined using inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES). The fatty acid composition of the oil was analyzed utilizing gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The results showed that the oil contains about 22.57% saturated fatty acids and 73.21% unsaturated fatty acids. Furthermore, Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) was used to identify the functional groups present in the oil.