Design and performance evaluation of a Dabai nutcracker and the effect of roasting on kernel fat quality as a plant-based lipid source

Dabai ( Canarium odontophyllum Miq.) kernel fat has potential as a plant-based lipid, but utilization is limited by inefficient extraction and insufficient roasting data. This study developed a small-scale Dabai nutcracker based on the physical and mechanical properties of Dabai nuts and evaluated the effects of roasting at 150 °C and 175 °C on the oxidative stability (free fatty acid, peroxide value, and thiobarbituric acid analyses) and antioxidant properties (DPPH radical scavenging and β-carotene bleaching assays) of Dabai kernel fat. The customized nutcracker achieved a 97.27% cracking efficiency and increased production capacity to 1.64 kg h −1 , compared to 0.94 kg h −1 for manual cracking. Roasting at 175 °C temperature yielded lower peroxide (4.00 ± 0.00 vs. 8.00 ± 0.00) and thiobarbituric acid values (0.121 ± 0.01 vs. 0.188 ± 0.01), a lower DPPH EC50 (103.98 ± 2.40 vs. 166.52 ± 2.85 µg/mL), and higher β-carotene inhibition (69.67 ± 0.22% vs. 51.98 ± 7.20%) than the unroasted control. Overall, the nutcracker improves extraction efficiency, while controlled roasting at 175 °C enhances the oxidative stability and antioxidant capacity of Dabai kernel fat. These findings offer crucial processing and quality data supporting the technological development and food applications of Dabai kernel fat.