Enzyme-assisted hexane extraction of soya bean oil

An enzymatic treatment with carbohydrases was performed either simultaneously with or prior to the hexane extraction of oil from soya grits. The enzymatic treatment increased the oil extractability by 5% of the extractable oil when it was carried out simultaneously with the oil extraction and 8–10% if the treatment was carried out prior to the solvent extraction. For this latter case, the fraction ‘easily’ extractable increased up to 7.5%. With regard to the products, the in-vitro apparent digestibility of the meal was slightly improved by 3%, and the enzyme assisted extracted oil contained higher free fatty acids and phosphorus contents than the oil from untreated samples (P < 0.05).