Oil extraction from catfish ( Netuma barba ) waste through the supercritical fluid

Summary This work aimed at oil extraction from catfish ( Netuma barba ) heads through the CO 2 supercritical fluid (SFE‐CO 2 ), and the ranges of supercritical conditions were extraction time (1 and 3 h), temperature (40 and 60 °C) and pressure (15 and 25 MPA). The crude oil from catfish heads presented the yield in the thermomechanical extraction was 86% compared to the Bligh and Dyer method, with concentrations of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid DHA of approximately 9.0% and 11.9%, respectively, in the catfish oil profiles after the refining process. In the supercritical extraction, the highest yield was around 84% at 25 MPa and 40 °C in 3 h, with lower concentrations of EPA and DHA, respectively, 2.1% and 9.1%. At 25 MPa, 60 °C and 3 h, the extraction yield was around 81%, with concentrations of EPA and DHA about 3.4% and 10.0%, respectively. The highest concentration of EPA and DHA was 18.3% found in the experiment at 25 MPa, 40 °C and 1 h. The catfish head oil obtained by supercritical fluid extraction process (SFE‐CO 2 ) showed similar characteristics to oil obtained by thermomechanical extraction and chemically refined. Thus, SFE‐CO 2 , besides being a promising potential for use of the fish waste, leads to sustainable food production through green technology.