Comparative Proximate Analysis of Rice Husk Oil and Commercially Available Vegetable Oil

Abstract

Rice husk is a by-product of rice milling and it is used as a valued raw material for different purposes. Rice husk oil was extracted and analysed for minerals such as calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, iron, potassium and sodium using Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (AAS). Commercialized vegetable oil sourced from the market was also analysed for the same set of minerals and the results were compared. The comparison showed that rice husk oil is better for consumption than vegetable oil because of its high concentration of calcium, magnesium and phosphorus. Proximate analysis of the rice husk was also determined and the result showed that rice husk has 19.000% Ash, 14.300% Carbohydrate, 45.500% Crude fibre, 4.800% Fat, 8.600% Moisture and 7.800% Protein. The result of silica content determination also shows that rice husk ash contains 92.000% silica.