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Removal and Degradation of Phorbol Esters during Pre-treatment and Transesterification of Jatropha curcas Oil

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Journal of the American Oil Chemists' Society

Abstract

Phorbol esters present in Jatropha curcas oil are toxic when consumed and are co-carcinogens. These could be a potential constraint in the widespread acceptance of Jatropha oil as a source of biodiesel. Phorbol esters were quantified in the fractions obtained at different stages of oil pre-treatment and biodiesel production. During degumming some phorbol esters were removed in the acid gums and wash water. This implies that the use of these acid gums in animal feed is not possible and care should be taken when disposing the wash water into the environment. Silica treatment did not decrease the phorbol esters, while stripping/deodorization at 260 °C at 3 mbar pressure with 1% steam injection completely degraded phorbol esters. Phorbol esters were not detected in stripped oil, fatty acid distillate, transesterified oil (biodiesel) and glycerine. The presence of possibly toxic phorbol ester degradation products in these fractions could not be ruled out.

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Acknowledgments

We are grateful to the Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung, Berlin for partially financing this work. The excellent technical assistance of Mr. Hermann Baumgartner is also gratefully acknowledged.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute for Animal Production in the Tropics and Subtropics (480b), University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart, Germany

    Harinder Makkar & Klaus Becker

  2. Desmet-Ballestra Group, Corporate Village, Da Vincilaan 2, 1935, Zaventem, Belgium

    Jeroen Maes & Wim De Greyt

Authors
  1. Harinder Makkar
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  2. Jeroen Maes
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  3. Wim De Greyt
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  4. Klaus Becker
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Harinder Makkar.

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Makkar, H., Maes, J., De Greyt, W. et al. Removal and Degradation of Phorbol Esters during Pre-treatment and Transesterification of Jatropha curcas Oil. J Am Oil Chem Soc 86, 173–181 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11746-008-1327-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11746-008-1327-6

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