Possible contributing factors towards the higher FFA content in

crude palm oil (CPO).

Dr Abdul Azis Ariffin.

Under-ripe FFB

Ripe FFB

Dr Azis
Why
CPO has
very
high
FFA?

Dr Azis
Chemicals within the fruit and the processing
activities will change and will affect each other.

Dr Azis
 In intact cell

In damaged cells
Oil: TAG
In CPO
Oil & its hydrolyzed products (DAG, MAG, FFA)
In CPO
Oil & oil derivatives (phospholipids, lipoprotein, glycolipids) In CPO
Oil & oil solubles (carotene, tocopherols, squalene , sterol)
Oil & saponfiable & nonsaponifiables (fatty acids, glycerides, phenols)
Oil & endogenous oil products (peroxides, aldehydes, isomers) In CPO and
RBDO
Oil & water & water solubles (oil & chlorophyll, carbohydrates, proteins)
In cells
Oil & impurities (oil & iron, copper, other metals, and their oxides)
In CPO and RBDO

What we really need is: Triacylglycerol (TAG) or triglyceride.

TAG …. consisting of 3 any fatty acids (saturated (lauric (C12:0), myristic
(C14:0), palmitic (C16:0), stearic (C18:0), … (C20 -22) and unsaturated (oleic
(C18:1), linoleic (C18:2) and linolenic (C18:3) … (C20, 21, 22,… 2.. : 1- 20)) on
a glycerol molecule, definite IV, definitive melting point and definitive texture.
Dr Azis
Dr Azis
 Why there is FFA in
extracted oil?

Let us …..…

1st: Understand: biochemistry/chemistry of oil…

Dr Azis
Water evaporation Hydrolysis

Stained

Separation of
wholesome
cells.

Dr Azis
 Oil / TAG

Oil / TAG

Synthesis of oil

Dr Azis
 DAG

Oil / TAG
+

FFA

MAG

FFA +
Enzymatic hydrolysis of oil

Dr Azis
 The hydrolysis of oil to FFA by lipases, happens in every oil bearing
vegetable tissue; in seed, mesocarp or kernel.

Whilst the chemistry is the same, almost every plant tissue and the cells
within records lower incidence of FFA.

BUT palm mesocarp cells want to be different!!!

2nd. The oil of or in palm mesocarp cells

Dr Azis
Cellular morphology

There are many

oil bodies per
cell

Dr Azis
 There are many oil
Cellular morphology bodies per cell

Dr Azis
 There are Cellular morphology
Vibratome sections of olive mesocarp of “Frantoio M.” and many oil
bodies per
“Coratina 5/19” genotypes observed under a light microscope
(100 £ ) after Sudan Black B staining. Oil bodies are blue–black
stained at: (A) immature green fruit (50 DAFB); (B) greenish- cell
yellow fruits (120 DAFB); and (C) mature fruit (160 DAFB).
Scale bar: 50 m m.

Sesame seed

ISRN Botany
Volume 2012 (2012), Article ID 173954, 16 pages
http://dx.doi.org/10.5402/2012/173954
Review Article
Integral Proteins in Plant Oil Bodies
Jason T. C. Tzen
Graduate Institute of Biotechnology, National Chung Hsing
University, Taichung 402, Taiwan

Cellular morphology
Dr Azis
 Cellular morphology

10th week old mesocarp.

16th week old mesocarp.

Cellular morphology

Cellular morphology
Oil body

Ripe fruit mesocarp cells. Dr Azis

 Oil body in mesocarp
cells after sterilization

OB
There OB
seems to
be a
FFB single oil
body per OB
cell
Fresh fruit
Cellular morphology

OB

Fresh fruits
Sterilized fruits

OB OB
There
seems to
be a single
oil body per
cell
Cellular morphology Dr Azis
3rd….. inferences of oil body on high content of ffa.

Dr Azis
Lipase

Dr Azis
Acetic acid
(blank test) spit

FFA

0.1N NaOH +
Phenopthalin red FFA
solution

Dr Azis
This is a unique fruit for its mesocarp cell contains but a large oil body. It’s up
to us to do everything we can to maintain the integrity of the cell, oil body and
its’ oil from the marauding lipases. Through this action we can sustain the
natural, wholesome and awesome oil or TAG molecules and not being
blemished by FFA, DAG and MAG.

Thanks
Dr Azis