Cottonseed oil

Introduction:

Cottonseed oil is a cooking oil extracted from the seeds of cotton plants.Cotton seed has a similar structure to other oilseeds such as sunflower seed,having an oil-bearing kernel surrounded by a hard outer hull; in processing, the oil is extracted from the kernel.Cottonseed oil is used for salad  oil, mayonnaise,salad dressing,and similar products because of its flavor stability.

Coposition:

Cootonseed oil’s fatty acid profile generally consists of 70% unsaturated fatty acids ，26% saturated fatty acids. When it is fully hydrogenated, its profile is 94% saturated fat and 2% unsaturated fatty acids .

Gossypol is a toxic, yellow, polyphenolic compound produced by cotton.This naturally occurring coloured compound is found in tiny glands in the seed, leaf, stem, tap root bark, and root of the cotton plant. The adaptive function of the compound facilitates natural insect resistance. The three key steps of refining, bleaching, and deodorization in producing finished oil act to eliminate the gossypol level.

How to get finished oil

Cottonseed oil, like other , is extracted from the seed of the plant, through either mechanical processes such as crushing or pressing, or by chemical processes such as solvent extraction.Cottonseed oil however, is most commonly extracted commercially via solvent extraction.

Once the crude oil is extracted, it must be processed and refined before it can be used for consumption, in order to remove impurities, including free fatty acids (FFA), phospholipids, pigments and volatile compounds.

Use of Cottonseed oil

Cottonseed oil is used in the production of edible food products such as cooking oils, salad oils, margarines and shortenings.

For agricultural applications, cottonseed oil generally has the greatest insecticide power among all the vegetable oils. They are traditionally used because of their effectiveness in “hard to treat” pest problems in fruit trees.

Cottonseed oil can also be mixed with other insecticides to provide a broader spectrum and increased control on pests. Spider mites, whiteflies and young stages of scales are common pests that can be controlled using cottonseed oil.