Extraction, Charaterization and Preparation of Soap from Legenaria siceraria Seed Oil

Due to the high demand for vegetable oil by soap industries, the quest for alternative raw material is on the increase. In this study, vegetable oil was extracted from the underutilise seeds of Lagenaria siceraria using n-hexane; The Physico-chemical properties of the oil were analysed: iodine value 65 Ig/100 g, acid value 2.50 mg/KOH/g, saponification value 256 mgKOH/g, pH 6.20, specific gravity 0.902, the refractive index of 1.47 and oil yield 52%. The properties of the oil were compared with oil extracted from other sources. The properties of the oil suggest it can use for both commercial and industrial purposes. The extracted oil was then used to prepared soap and its properties were compared with the properties of soaps prepared from other oils. The physicochemical parameters of the prepared soaps which include foam height, hardness, pH and cleansing power were evaluated. The soap made from Lagenaria siceraria seeds oil has foam height of 2.0 cm lower than palm kernel oil (2.1 cm) and higher than soya beans (0.55 cm). Soap made from Lagenaria siceraria seed oil has an appreciable degree of hardness and good cleansing power compared to soaps prepared from other oils. The pH of all the soaps prepared is within the standard of the regulating agency in Nigeria. From the result obtained, it shows the underutilised Lagenaria siceraria seed oil can use as an alternative raw material in the commercial production of soap.