Oil extraction from mamey kernel(Pouteria sapota (Jacq.) HE Moore & Stearn)assisted by continuous and pulsed highhydrostatic pressure

Objective: To evaluate the effect of high hydrostatic pressure (HHP) on the oil extraction yield and fatty acid profile of mamey seed oil. Design/methodology/approach: Treatments were conducted at 600 MPa using different treatment times (5, 10, and 20 min) and pulsed pressure conditions (1, 3, and 5 pulses of 2 s each). Oil extraction was performed using petroleum ether through the Goldfish method for two extraction times (2.5 and 4 h). Fatty acid profiles were analyzed as methyl esters by GC-FID. Results: Continuous HHP treatment at 600 MPa for 20 min significantly increased oil extraction yield by approximately 60-65% compared with untreated samples. Pulsed pressure treatments also improved oil recovery, particularly the 3-pulse treatment at 2.5 h extraction; however, increasing the number of pulses did not consistently result in additional yield enhancement. No significant differences were observed between extraction times under continuous HHP treatments, suggesting that near-equilibrium extraction conditions were achieved within 2.5 h. HHP treatments did not significantly affect the fatty acid composition of the extracted oil. Findings/conclusions: These results demonstrate that HHP is an effective non-thermal strategy to enhance oil extraction from mamey seeds while preserving fatty acid profile stability.